Rakuten, one of Japan’s largest online retailers, has bowed to pressure and banned ivory sales.
One of Japan’s largest online retailers has banned the sale of ivory, closing a major marketplace for the controversial trade.
Rakuten is accused of being the world’s largest online retailer for elephant ivory, but will now phase out its sale.
The trade is legal in Japan for items imported before 1989 – but no new stock can be brought into the country.
Many other countries have banned the trade outright over concerns that it contributes to elephant poaching.
Rakuten also banned the sale of sea turtle products on its site, telling AFP news agency it was responding to « growing international concern ».
« We expect it will take 1-2 months for all listings of these prohibited products to be removed, » it said.
On the day of the announcement, a large number of ivory items were still listed for sale, including many carved personal seals known as « hanko ».
