New cage-free egg report reveals major opportunity to improve animal welfare in Japan’s food industry
TOKYO — On September 15, Mercy For Animals released Animal Welfare Report 2025: Japan, its inaugural animal welfare report for Japan. The first of its kind, this report examines and evaluates cage-free egg initiatives at Japanese food companies, revealing that the majority of these companies lack effective policies or have taken no action to address this critical animal welfare issue.
An estimated 95% of hens in Japan are still trapped in cramped, cruel cages that promote injury and disease, denying them the opportunity to express natural behaviors critical to their basic welfare. While Japan’s food industry claims to value animal welfare and even endorses the Five Freedoms of animal welfare, few companies have adopted policies that align with them.
The animal welfare science is clear: Cage-free housing significantly reduces the pain, stress, injury, and disease that caged laying hens endure. Stakeholders in Japan, the Asia-Pacific region and other regions around the world are also demanding higher welfare standards:
- In Japan, 43% of consumers surveyed showed an interest in cage-free eggs, stating that they would pay 5%–21% more for eggs produced under higher-welfare conditions.
- In South Korea, 77% of consumers surveyed agreed that corporations should ensure that farm animals’ needs are met.
- In China, 72.3% of consumers surveyed agreed that it mattered to them that chickens producing eggs not suffer.
Asia produces over 60% of the world’s eggs. With Japan’s significant business influence over the region, the country’s top food companies must step up as global leaders in animal welfare by implementing concrete cage-free actions — most effectively, adopting global cage-free egg policies. Some Japanese companies, such as mayonnaise manufacturer Kewpie, have already committed to incremental cage-free transitions, and U.S.-based company Costco reports significant progress in converting their Japanese businesses to cage-free. On the other hand, companies including confectionery manufacturer Lotte and chain-restaurant giant Zensho Holdings have yet to make any public statement or take any initiative on cage-free eggs, despite an increasingly available cage-free supply and alternative procurement methods, such as cage-free credits.
“Japanese food companies have the influence and infrastructure to drive real progress on animal welfare — not just in Japan but across Asia,” said Jasmine Ortlieb-Hirose, Mercy For Animals’ global corporate relations coordinator for Asia. “By committing to cage-free egg policies, these companies can align with global standards, meet rising consumer expectations, and demonstrate meaningful leadership in sustainability and ethics.”
Other major food companies in Asia have already demonstrated leadership in animal welfare by pledging to go 100% cage-free: Philippines-based restaurant group Jollibee, supermarket chain Super Indo in Indonesia, top retailer Carrefour in Taiwan and others.
Japan’s top food companies have consistently performed poorly for years on other international animal welfare reports, such as the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, and World Animal Protection ranks Japan one of the lowest – “E” – out of the G7 countries for protecting farmed animals. If Japan doesn’t take more decisive action, the country risks falling even further behind.
“Japan has a powerful opportunity to become a regional leader in animal welfare, but right now, many of its top food companies are failing to act,” said Erin Zhang, global corporate relations specialist at Mercy For Animals. “The science is clear: The public is ready, and the cage-free supply is catching up. It’s time for Japanese companies to step up, commit to cage-free, and lead Asia toward a more compassionate food system.”
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Ronnika A. McFall at [email protected].
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Mercy For Animals is a leading international nonprofit working to end industrial animal agriculture by constructing a just and sustainable food system. Active in Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, Southeast Asia, and the United States, the organization has conducted over 100 investigations of factory farms and slaughterhouses, influenced over 500 corporate policies, and helped pass historic legislation to ban cages for farmed animals. Learn more at MercyForAnimals.org.
