1,670,000 animals were killed for fur consumption in Japan in 2015

Import of apparel with fur accessories dropped  drastically

In 2015, the number of imports of apparel with fur (including accessories and hats) was 4,271,681 items, of which the weight was equal to 2,188,900 kg.
In 2014 it was 6,321,058 items and 3,398,969 kg, so the number dropped by 32% and the weight dropped by 36%.
The number includes apparel that partially has fur as well as clothes that are made of fur, which makes it hard to determine [how much of it is actual fur] from foreign trade statistics.  Therefore, it is not possible to count how many animals were killed; the Animal Rights Center calculated 1,401,095 animals[ The weight of one fur item is calculated as 300g, and non-fur parts are calculated as 600g, as one item of non-fur clothes is 300g less.
]. By the same method of calculation, 2,265,979 animals were killed in 2014, so the number dropped by 868,884 animals in 2015.

Animals killed for fur apparel consumed by Japanese
2,265,979 animals in 2014 → 1,401,095 animals in 2015 

Import of fur materials dropped by 20,062 animals

In 2015, the number of fur material importation (including the whole skin and partial skin) was 144,750 kg, which dropped by 29,150 kg since 2014, in which the number was 173,904 kg. The number of animals killed would be 275,090, but 29,062 animals were saved at the same time in 2015.

Animals killed for fur materials consumed by Japanese
304,152 animals in 2014 → 275,090 animals in 2015 

The number of fur consumption keep decreasing, but the number of victims is still large

Importation of fur made from foxes, rabbits, mink, etc., has decreased since 2014, though import of fur made from sheep and goats from China has increased.
Also, though animals are unknown, import of fur accessories and clothes has been decreasing for the last 4 years.
In 2015, not just fast fashion but quite a few corporations including luxury brands, such as Hugo Boss, stated that they would not use fur. A survey used by Web monitor in 2014 showed that only 8% said they purchased fur. The awareness that fur is cruel and bad for the environment and people’s health is rising, so ways to consume ethically are spreading. With that said, approximately 1,676,185 animals were still killed. In cold months in Japan such as January and February, people wear coats and scarves with fur. Visitors from the EU and Australia often say how shocked they are by how many people are still wearing fur.

Note: The numbers of fur importation usually include shoes that have fur attached, but the Ministry of Finance doesn’t distinguish the shoes that have no fur in the foreign trade statistics, making it hard to determine accurate numbers.  Therefore, the numbers and the graph shown above do not include these shoes.