Ivory Trade in Japan: A Comparative Analysis

The report argues that Japan's domestic ivory market remains insufficient to prevent illegal trade and recommends a comprehensive market closure with narrow exemptions. It compares Japan's regime with those of China, Hong Kong, Thailand, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, highlighting gaps in Japan's traceability, registration, and stockpile management. Key recommendations include mandating the registration of privately held ivory, implementing permanent marking for tusks, and adopting stricter legal acquisition verification processes.

• Japan maintains one of the world's largest domestic ivory markets, which continues to flourish despite a global trend toward comprehensive bans and admonitions from CITES parties regarding "systemic illegal domestic trading practices in Japan".
• Amendments to the Law for the Conservation of Endangered Wild Fauna and Flora (LCES), effective 1 June 2018, introduced registration requirements for business operators and traceability forms for ivory pieces weighing over 1kg and exceeding 20cm.
• Japan cannot account for at least 85% of its ivory stockpile; while 2,095 tonnes were known to exist legally between 1981 and 2009, only about 321 tonnes were registered between 1995 and the end of 2016.
• The report identifies a lack of rigorous vetting for legal acquisition in Japan, noting that sellers often only need to "ask about the source of ivory" rather than requiring proof of legality.
• Comparative analysis shows that other jurisdictions have implemented stricter bans: China enacted a near-total commercial ban on 30 December 2016, and Hong Kong is phasing out domestic trade by 31 December 2021.
• The United States employs a complex system of exemptions, including a 'de minimis' exception for African elephant ivory items where ivory is not the primary value and weighs less than 200 grams.
• The European Union's regime for intra-EU trade generally requires certificates for specimens imported before Appendix I listings (18 January 1990 for African elephants and 1 July 1975 for Asian elephants), with an exemption for worked specimens acquired before 3 March 1947.
• The report recommends that Japan close its ivory market and implement narrow exemptions for museums, scientific use, law enforcement, antiques (70-100 years old), and musical instruments with low ivory content.
• To improve traceability, the report suggests Japan adopt permanent marking for all whole tusks and cut pieces over 20cm and 1kg, using a uniform formula (e.g., JP / 75 / 1004 / 20).
• The report urges Japan to mandate the registration of all ivory held for non-commercial private use, including a 90-day registration window after which unregistered ivory would be considered illegal.

APA

Martin, S., Malviya, A., & Foksa-Biegaj, A. (2019). Ivory Trade in Japan: A Comparative Analysis. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/595/1lo16y1qkh_Ivory_Trade_in_Japan___A_Comparative_Analysis___Global_Rights_Compliance.pdf

Chicago

Martin, Scott, Advait Malviya, and Agata Foksa-Biegaj. Ivory Trade in Japan: A Comparative Analysis. WWF International, 2019. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/595/1lo16y1qkh_Ivory_Trade_in_Japan___A_Comparative_Analysis___Global_Rights_Compliance.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Martin |first1=Scott |last2=Malviya |first2=Advait |last3=Foksa-Biegaj |first3=Agata |title=Ivory Trade in Japan: A Comparative Analysis |publisher=WWF International |date=February 2019 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/595/1lo16y1qkh_Ivory_Trade_in_Japan___A_Comparative_Analysis___Global_Rights_Compliance.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{martin2019ivory, author = {Martin, Scott and Malviya, Advait and Foksa-Biegaj, Agata}, title = {{Ivory Trade in Japan: A Comparative Analysis}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2019}, month = feb, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/595/1lo16y1qkh_Ivory_Trade_in_Japan___A_Comparative_Analysis___Global_Rights_Compliance.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }