Why are Japanese zoos so bad

[tigris115]

So after watching some Kemono Friends which got me interested in looking up the zoos of Japan and what I saw wasn't terribly pretty. Many of these parks seem like they haven't changed since after WWII so I was wondering if any zoo experts knew if there's a reason to this be it financial, cultral, or something else.

 

[Coelacanth18]

Here are a couple of articles that speak about this topic:

Ushering in a new, kinder era for Japan's zoos | The Japan Times

Japan zoos could be an endangered species | The Japan Times

It seems that attendance has been dropping since the beginning of the 1990's and many Japanese zoos are struggling financially, which would explain their inability to renovate enclosures and improve conditions for the animals. Also, the lack of national zoo standards and strong animal welfare laws makes it impossible to hold zoos accountable for their conditions.

Also this (!!!): "Municipal zoos operate under the Urban Parks Law, which means their animals are treated the same as other public park property, like benches and playground equipment."

@FrancoiseLangur lives in Japan; @aardvark250 and @devilfish have visited zoos there. Perhaps they would be able to offer other perspectives on it.

 

[aardvark250]

I think you shouldn't be so over-generalization.There are some zoo in Japan which are good,especially Zoorasia.Actually, a lot of Japanese zoo have some interesting species. Also, there are a lot of zoos in Asia which are not good,and for me,I actually enjoy visit to Japan than to other countries,such as China.I really think that most Japanese zoo did better than zoos in China.

 

[tigris115]

Japan is better than China no doubt, I just feel the Japan's zoos have a really long way to go.

 

[aardvark250]

I just feel the Japan's zoos have a really long way to go.

I agree.Asia have little law about animal rights.
Just look at all those dolphin in Taiji.If Japanese zoo need to get up with European/American zoos standard, they need to educate the people.It seems like they have do something through the past year, but they really need to do more.

 

[Coelacanth18]

I think you shouldn't be so over-generalization.There are some zoo in Japan which are good,especially Zoorasia.Actually, a lot of Japanese zoo have some interesting species.

I should have added something else I gleaned from the articles and which I already assumed: conditions are sub-optimal at *many* Japanese zoos, but not *all* of them.

This is somewhat tangential, but what interesting species did you have in mind?

 

[lintworm]

This discussion also came up on a Dutch zooforum and something that was noted is that Japanese have a completely different way of thinking about space, being a very cramped country (and that is said by a Dutch ) and this also reflects in many animal enclosures which are also much smaller than their European counterparts, even when they are of the same age. In terms of breeding and animal care, Japanese zoos are pretty good, but their enclosures can be very lacking sometimes, especially for such a rich country.