Guidelines for Proper Conduct of Animal Experiments by the Science Council of Japan

In 1980, in response to a recommendation submitted by the Science Council of Japan (SCJ), the Ministry of Education issued a notification to related institutions. Based on this notification, research institutions established policies for more appropriate conduct of animal experiments. In 2004, the SCJ issued a proposal entitled "Promotion of public understanding of animal experimentation". On receipt of this proposal, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare compiled basic policies for the conduct of animal experimentation. The two ministries requested the SCJ to prepare detailed guidelines to serve as a reference material or a model when research institutions compile their own specifications for animal experimentation, and SCJ submitted the guidelines in 2006.