Japan seems to love beribboned miniature dogs and panda cubs, but in a country where cartoon images of happy cows are used to promote yakiniku barbecue restaurants, farm animal welfare doesn¡¯t receive much attention. The majority of Japan¡¯s prized wagyu beef, for example, is produced from cattle confined indoors their whole lives to limit movement and muscle development ¡ª an unnatural lifestyle for a grazing animal.
Hiragai (ƽ¤), or free-range husbandry, where the animals can move around freely outdoors for at least part of the day, is still a somewhat foreign concept in Japan. While critics call for more stringent animal welfare laws, a lack of interest and demand from the public for free-range food in general has contributed to the current status quo.
, an upmarket restaurant in Shibuya, is making efforts to use some free-range items but, according to executive chef Hitoshi Sugiura, it is doubtful that customers have an appreciation for this particular issue. ¡°For example, there¡¯s this image of chicken being both tasty and cheap in Japan. Currently, I don¡¯t think people would really understand the value of ingredients being more expensive based on the fact they are free-range,¡± says Sugiura.
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