Animal Protection Law

Directed by Naotoshi Kitada

Exposing the Contradictions and Deception Behind Japan's Animal Welfare Act. In 2017, a former tax accountant was arrested for a series of cat killings in Saitama Prefecture. Despite the shocking brutality of the crimes, the court sentenced him only to a suspended prison term for violating the Animal Welfare Act—a ruling many viewed as little more than an empty gesture. The case horrified the nation, and more than 220,000 people signed petitions calling for a harsher punishment. Troubled by the glaring disconnect between public sentiment and the judicial system, the director spent four years conducting an independent investigation, confronting numerous animal abusers in an effort to uncover the deeper issues surrounding animal cruelty. What ultimately emerged was a deeply ironic picture: a legal system whose contradictions and shortcomings make Japan's Animal Welfare Act appear almost as if it were designed to protect animal abusers rather than their victims.