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| Japanese Society for Preservation of Mammals | |
|---|---|
| Name | Japanese Society for Preservation of Mammals |
| Native name | 日本哺乳類保存学会 |
| Formation | 1987 |
| Headquarters | Tokyo |
| Region served | Japan |
| Leader title | President |
| Leader name | Dr. Hiroshi Tanaka |
Japanese Society for Preservation of Mammals is a Japanese non-profit learned society focused on the study, conservation, and public outreach for mammalian fauna within Japan and the wider East Asian region. The society collaborates with universities, research institutes, museums, and government-affiliated agencies to integrate field biology, taxonomy, and policy advocacy for species such as the Japanese macaque, Hokkaido brown bear, and Iriomote cat. It acts as a hub linking academic researchers, conservation NGOs, and international treaty bodies to promote evidence-based preservation strategies.
The society was founded in 1987 amid growing concern for species declines highlighted by researchers at University of Tokyo, Hokkaido University, and Kyoto University, with founding members including professors from National Museum of Nature and Science and curators from Kobe City Museum. Early conferences featured speakers from Smithsonian Institution, Natural History Museum, London, and American Museum of Natural History, reflecting ties to institutions such as Cornell University, University of California, Berkeley, and Osaka City University. Through the 1990s it forged working relationships with agencies like Ministry of the Environment (Japan), Japan Wildlife Research Center, and the Wildlife Conservation Society, and with international networks including IUCN, WWF, and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora delegations. Milestones included collaborative surveys with National Institute for Environmental Studies and partnership projects with RSPB and BirdLife International affiliates.
The society's mission emphasizes species inventory, habitat protection, and public education, aligning with conventions such as Ramsar Convention, Bonn Convention, and regional agreements like the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity dialogues. Objectives include coordinating mammal monitoring programs with universities such as Tohoku University, Nagoya University, and Kyushu University; training field biologists in methods developed at Sapporo Medical University and Tokyo Metropolitan University; and advising policy bodies including Cabinet Office (Japan) committees and prefectural governments like Hokkaido Prefecture and Okinawa Prefecture. The society promotes cross-disciplinary exchange with museums including National Museum of Nature and Science, botanical gardens such as Koishikawa Botanical Garden, and zoos like Ueno Zoo and Asahiyama Zoo.
Governing councils draw on representatives from research institutions including Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, Science Council of Japan, and regional centers like Okinawa Churashima Research Center. The executive includes a president (currently from University of Tokyo), vice presidents from Hokkaido University and Kyoto University, and committees for taxonomy, fieldwork, education, and policy liaison that coordinate with museums including Kobe City Museum and laboratories at Riken. Membership categories engage students from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, postdoctoral fellows from RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, and international associates from University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and University of Washington.
Programs encompass long-term monitoring of populations such as the Japanese serow, Amami rabbit, and Okinawa dugong via collaborations with Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, and Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. The society leads habitat restoration efforts conducted with prefectural conservation bureaus and NGOs like Nature Conservation Society of Japan and Conservation International partners. It supports genetic studies performed at National Institute of Genetics and phylogeographic work with teams from University of California, San Diego and University of Tokyo. Field protocols often reference standards from IUCN Red List, collaborative tagging with International Whaling Commission researchers, and mitigation strategies developed with Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency.
The society publishes a peer-reviewed journal featuring articles from authors affiliated with Seikei University, Meiji University, Doshisha University, and international contributors from Australian National University and University of British Columbia. It organizes annual symposia hosted alternately at venues including National Museum of Nature and Science, Hokkaido University, and Kyoto University with keynote speakers from IUCN, WWF-Japan, Society for Conservation Biology, and specialized sessions co-chaired with editors from Journal of Mammalogy and Mammal Review. Proceedings have included thematic volumes in collaboration with Springer and editorial partnerships with Cambridge University Press.
The society partners with government agencies including Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan) and international organizations such as UNESCO and ADB to influence protected area designation, species recovery plans, and environmental impact assessments for infrastructure projects like those reviewed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Advocacy campaigns have intersected with legal frameworks administered by the Supreme Court of Japan and consultations with municipal assemblies in cities like Sapporo, Sendai, and Naha. It engages media outlets including NHK, Asahi Shimbun, and The Japan Times to communicate findings and policy proposals.
Notable initiatives include a multi-year survey of Hokkaido carnivores with Hokkaido Research Organization, a captive-breeding protocol for the Amami rabbit with Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum, and community-based coexistence programs in rural Tochigi coordinated with Tochigi Prefectural Government and NGOs such as Friends of the Earth Japan. The society contributed data to IUCN assessments for species like the Japanese macaque and collaborated on habitat corridors integrating planning from Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Japan) and regional municipalities. It has been recognized by awards from organizations including Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and has maintained long-term specimen exchange agreements with institutions like Natural History Museum, London and Smithsonian Institution.
Category:Conservation organizations based in Japan