Food

Network delights as moves made to ban dog meat in Korea

TOKYO, Jul 07 (News On Japan) - Fuji News Network is reporting that changes are afoot in South Korean culinary culture with a ban on eating dog meat apparently imminent.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea is moving to revise laws that would ban people from eating dog meat.

The Seoul Municipal Government is also fining restaurants that handle dog meat and is deliberating a draft ordinance to encourage dog meat sellers to change business.

Popular opinion behind these moves against what had once been a widespread practice is believed to be an increase in concern for animal welfare.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee are known dog lovers and are believed to have influenced the shift in attitudes.

Dog meat for human consumption was sold in about 50 restaurants in Tokyo and Osaka until about 2010, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare

The ministry reported to the Diet that about 30 tons of dog meat for human consumption was imported into Japan from China in 2013. The Ministry said about 20 tons was imported from Vietnam in 2018, the most recent year it has made a public comment on dog meat imports into Japan.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

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Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

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