You can use our free banner to link to this site. USAGI-O-SUKUE! SAVE THE ANIMALS FROM SHISEIDO Shiseido still killing animals for cosmetics in spite of EU BAN Our group, JAVA, has been seeking the abolition of animal experiments in Japan. As animal testing for cosmetics has been banned in EU since March 11, 2009, we took this opportunity to launch a campaign to seek the abolition of animal testing for cosmetics, targeting SHISEIDO, the largest cosmetic company in Japan.  However, the company still refuses to stop animal testing despite our repeated cry against animal experiments. To our surprise, SHISEIDO continues marketing their cosmetic products in EU without hesitation even after the EU ban on import and sales of cosmetics tested on animals. WE NEED YOUR HELP in pursuit of a day when SHISEIDO stops animal testing and no animal testing is conducted in Japan or anywhere else in the world. 1. Join the petition 2. Send the message “Stop Cruelty” to Shiseido in your country <EUROPE> Belgium: http://www.shiseido.be/ France: http://www.shiseido.fr/ Germany: http://www.shiseido.de/ Greece: http://www.shiseido.gr/ Ireland: http://www.shiseido.ie/ Italy: http://www.shiseido-italy.com/ Netherland: http://www.shiseido.nl/ Norway: http://www.shiseido.no/ Portugal: http://www.shiseido.pt/ Switzerland: http://www.shiseido.ch/ UK: http://www.shiseido.co.uk/ <AMERICA> Canada: http://www.shiseidocanada.com/ United States: http://www.sca.shiseido.com/ <OCEANIA> Australia & New Zealand: http://www.oceania.shiseido.com/ <ASIA> China: http://www.shiseidochina.com/ Hong Kong: http://www.hk.shiseido.com/ South Korea: http://www.kr.shiseido.com/ Taiwan: http://www.tw.shiseido.com/ Thailand: http://www.shiseido.co.th/ 1. 0pen questionnaire on animal tests for cosmetic products (1) 2. 0pen questionnaire on animal tests for cosmetic products (2) Animal testing for cosmetics In cosmetics and household products research, painful experiments are carried out on animals, including rabbits, mice, rats, guinea-pigs. This includes tests for skin or eye irritation, skin sensitisation (allergy), toxicity (poisoning), mutagenicity (genetic damage), teratogencity (birth defects), carcinogenicity (causing cancer), embryonic or fetal genetic damage and toxicokinetics (to study the absorption, metabolism, distribution and excretion of the substance). EU banned animal testing from March 11, 2009 On the basis of 2003/15/EC, animal testing on cosmetics has been banned in EU since March 11. Animal testing on final formulations of cosmetics had already been banned since September 2004. Animal testing on ingredients (and combinations of ingredients) of cosmetics and marketing of cosmetic products tested on animals have been banned additionally this time around (only tests for carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction are exceptions until March 2013). (http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/cosmetics/doc/200315/200315_en.pdf) Shiseido keeps animal testing In Japan, more and more people have become aware that animal testing is conducted for production of cosmetics.  However, the opposition has not had effects on cosmetics business yet. Almost all of Japanese major cosmetic companies are still carrying out animal testing. Shiseido, the leading cosmetics company in Japan, responded to JAVA’s open letter in November 2008. According to its response, the company is conducting animal testing “where animal testing is considered essential, for example, where it is required by laws and regulations, or no alternative method has been developed.”  Shiseido intends to continue animal testing even after the EU ban has started. EU ban cannot protect EU consumers from cruel cosmetics Thus they have been keeping making products for EU consumers from ingredients that are not tested on animals, but continue animal testing in Japan and other countries. So EU consumers are still in danger of buying products made by the company which keeps conducting animal testing in other countries after March 11. Since animal testing is not legally required in Japan, it is possible for companies to manufacture ingredients, combination of ingredients and final formulations of cosmetics without animal testing. There are about 100 cruelty-free cosmetic companies listed in JAVA’s shopping guidebook for consumers “JAVA Cosmetic Guide”. However, animal testing data is required in Japan where an additional ingredient is included in ”the limitation on combinations of preservatives, ultraviolet absorbers and tar dyes (positive list)” or where the maximum acceptable quantity is changed, and in manufacturing the products, such as permanent wave solutions, hair dyes, or skin lightening/whitening cosmetics, classified as “quasi-drugs” containing new ingredients (The “quasi-drugs” is the classification used only in Japan and Republic of Korea and such products are regarded as “cosmetics” in the United States and EU). Japanese major companies such as Shiseido keep conducting animal testing simply because they want to make excessive profits by patented medicinal properties. Japanese consumers also want cruelty-free JAVA says “Approximately 90 percent of people say they would choose a brand that has not been animal-tested. Japanese consumers also want cruelty-free cosmetics.  Japanese major companies should not ignore the global trend and should stop animal testing voluntarily.  If they want to develop new ingredients, they should wait until alternative non-animal testing methods have been fully established.” Japan Antivivisection Association Seiou #404, 29-31 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0031 Japan info@usagi-o-sukue.org Phone: #81 3 54 56 9311 (Japanese only) Copyright 2009 JAVA All Rights Reserved.