The Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA, in Japanese: , ''Nihon Dōbutsu-en Suizokukan Kyōkai'') is an organisation for the

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...

and

aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...

community in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. As of April 30, 2021, JAZA has 90 member zoos and 50 member aquariums. JAZA seeks to protect nature and animals through educational and conservation outreach.

History

JAZA was established in 1939 as a voluntary organization. At the time, it had 16 zoo members and 3 aquarium members. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, JAZA promoted efforts to help restore damaged zoos and aquariums. By 1965, membership had reached 55 zoos and 33 aquariums, and JAZA was made a corporation under the Social Education Bureau (now the Lifelong Learning Bureau) of the Japanese government's

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

. A

board of directors A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

consisting of 6 representative zoo directors from around the country was created in the same year. In 2012, JAZA banned member museums from acquiring dolphins through pursuit fishing.

Education

JAZA started conferences for veterinarians and zookeepers in 1953, and for aquarists in 1956. It also established an award system to encourage successful breeding of rare animals and achievements in animal research. JAZA started publishing the "Journal of Japanese Association of Zoological Gardens and Aquariums" in 1959, and began giving qualifying exams for zookeepers and aquarists in 1971.

Conservation

JAZA established the Species Survival Committee JAZA (SSCJ) in 1988. This committee aims to help manage breeding groups of animals in need of conservation and propagation efforts while maintaining the species' genetic diversity. As a result, Japanese zoos currently participate in the breeding efforts for 141 rare animals. Studbooks for the

Japanese serow The (''Capricornis crispus'') ( 羚羊) is a Japanese goat-antelope, an even-toed ungulate. It is found in dense woodland in Japan, primarily in northern and central Honshu. The serow is seen as a national symbol of Japan, and is subject to p ...

red-crowned crane The red-crowned crane (''Grus japonensis''), also called the Manchurian crane (; the Chinese character '丹' means 'red', '頂/顶' means 'crown (anatomy), crown' and '鶴/鹤' means 'crane'), is a large East Asian Crane (bird), crane among the ...

hooded crane The hooded crane (''Grus monacha'') is a crane native to East Asia and a frequent migratory bird in Japan. Description It has a grey body. The top of the neck and head is white, except for a patch of bare red skin above the eye. It is one of t ...

white-naped crane The white-naped crane (''Antigone vipio'', formerly ''Grus vipio'', also known as the ''Daurian crane'' in Russian sources) is a bird in the crane family, Gruidae. It is a large bird measuring 112–125 cm (44–49 in) long, about 130 ...

, and Oriental white stork are now kept in Japan, and the SSCJ cooperates with the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

(IUCN), Survival Service Commission (SSC), and the International Studbook Keepers under the

World Association of Zoos and Aquariums The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the "umbrella" organization for the world zoo and aquarium community. Its mission is to provide leadership and support for zoos, aquariums, and partner organizations of the world in animal ...

(WAZA).

Notes

External links

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About JAZA / note dynamic menu on right

Four objectives
{{authority control 1939 establishments in Japan Organizations established in 1939 Zoo associations Zoos in Japan Aquaria in Japan

History

Education

Conservation

See also

Notes

External links