Since 2023, Professor Tsuyoshi Shimmura, who serves as an advisor to Lively, has been actively involved in promoting animal welfare in Japan while teaching in the Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology at the Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.

In the first part of this interview, Professor Shimmura shared the journey that led him to become a researcher, as well as details about his current research themes.

Now, in Part 2, we’ll dive into the story behind the creation of Unshelled, a next-generation, animal-welfare-conscious model poultry house, and explore the educational programs being carried out in collaboration with Lively.

The Future Vision of the Next-Generation Model poultry House, “Unshelled”

Unshelled is a next-generation model poultry house designed with animal welfare in mind. What inspired its creation?

After many years of researching animal welfare, I’ve had the chance to hear a wide range of perspectives—from producers, consumers, researchers, companies, and government bodies. Some people say, “Caged systems are better because they’re cheap and high quality,” while others believe, “Free-range systems are better because they let hens live more freely.” But these views often remain one-sided and don’t really connect with one another.

There are even consumers who don’t know how the eggs they eat every day are actually produced. I felt that we needed a space where people from all walks of life could learn about animal welfare and have meaningful conversations about it—and that’s what inspired the creation of Unshelled.

Around the world, the trend in egg-laying hen farming is shifting from caged systems to free-range. At the same time, eggs are known as a “price-stable hero” that supports everyday meals. So, when aiming to improve animal welfare, it’s essential to take into account the perspectives of all the different stakeholders involved.

Simply saying, “Let’s improve animal welfare!” or just listening to a variety of opinions isn’t enough to bring about real change in society. What’s truly important is bringing together people who care and creating a space where meaningful dialogue can begin.

In Japan, about 94% of poultry farms still use caged housing systems, so switching to cage-free systems that prioritize animal welfare involves significant costs. One of the goals of Unshelled is to demonstrate the value and benefits of such systems to both producers and consumers—benefits that can outweigh the disadvantages.

I had a chance to visit Unshelled while it was under construction, and I saw that it’s a poultry house where you can observe both types of systems—two kinds of caged housing and two kinds of cage-free housing.

The design of the poultry house was inspired by a Dutch brand called Rondeel. The Netherlands is known for being a leader in animal welfare, but even there, both caged and cage-free systems are still in use. What impressed me was their approach of opening the poultry houses to the public, allowing people from all walks of life to visit and helping the country explore its direction on a national level.

I was deeply inspired by that concept, and with Unshelled, we hope to put it into practice here in Japan as well. By making the facility open for anyone to visit freely, we want to create opportunities for people to think more deeply about animal welfare in Japan.

 What are the differences between Rondeel and Unshelled?

The biggest difference is that Unshelled includes caged systems, while Rondeel does not. From an animal welfare perspective, cage-free systems are the better choice. However, in order to maintain stable egg production, caged systems are still necessary.

Since it’s still unclear what direction Japan should take going forward, we felt it was important to encourage discussion. That’s why Unshelled was designed to showcase four different rearing methods: a standard cage, a cage with perches, a single-story cage-free system, and a two-story cage-free system.

 I’ve heard that you’re also planning to launch an experiential educational program in collaboration with Lively, aimed at promoting animal welfare. Could you tell us more about that?

The idea for this collaboration began when Ms. Miura from Lively took one of my classes through a graduate school exchange program. That connection led us to start planning an experiential educational program together at Unshelled.

After doing this interview, I’m once again reminded that the team at Lively shares a similar vision and approach when it comes to animal welfare. It really feels like we’re moving in the same direction.

Your approach to animal welfare—could you tell us more about what you mean by that?

At first glance, promoting animal welfare might seem like an entirely positive goal—but for producers and consumers, there are real risks involved, especially in terms of cost. It’s a topic that can easily trigger negative reactions, like “Why should we even care about animal welfare?”

Even so, I truly believe that working toward animal welfare is a good thing, and that by viewing it in a positive light, we can begin to see the world differently. In my lab, we refer to this concept as “One Welfare”—the idea that improving the welfare of animals also contributes to human well-being and helps us build a more sustainable planet.

That’s exactly why I feel so aligned with the Lively team. They share this same vision, and it’s what makes me excited to move forward with them on this project.

Thank you. Looking ahead, what specific initiatives are you planning to carry out at Unshelled?

To start, we hope to raise awareness of Unshelled among people who are already interested in animal welfare—such as those in the food industry and the media. In recent years, we’ve received more and more inquiries from companies saying, “We want to adopt animal welfare practices, but we don’t have enough information,” especially in response to growing pressure from overseas consumers and animal welfare organizations.

We want Unshelled to serve as a platform for raising awareness and sparking discussion about animal welfare here in Japan, while also becoming a place that connects people and animals.

We also hope that consumers will come and visit Unshelled. I’d love for it to be part of early childhood education, encouraging people—especially children—to think about hens and eggs as a familiar part of their daily lives.

 I’ve heard that Unshelled is a name you came up with yourself, Professor Shimmura. Could you tell us about the meaning behind the name and the future you hope to create through it?

The name Unshelled was inspired by the shell of an egg. It conveys the image of something uncovered or transparent. I chose it with the hope that visitors could see chickens living freely and comfortably in a highly transparent facility—and that this place would break through existing systems and help create new ideas.

Although Unshelled is a poultry house, our research doesn’t stop with hens. We aim to improve the welfare of many different animals.

I encourage everyone to start thinking about animal welfare in their everyday lives. Whether you’re buying eggs or meat at the supermarket, visiting a zoo or aquarium, or playing with a pet at home—please take a moment to consider the well-being of animals.

These days, more consumers are becoming interested in how vegetables are grown and where they come from. But when it comes to eggs and meat, that level of awareness is still quite low. Consumer behavior has the power to drive change in society. So I hope people will take that first step—by choosing to learn.

Thank you very much, Professor Shimmura.

Message from the Project Member

The connection between Professor Shimmura and Lively co-founder Ms. Miura traces back to a class on Animal Production Science at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. The way the class thoughtfully explored the relationship between animals and humans brought back memories of a childhood dream—a world full of kindness, where no boundaries exist between people and animals.

Looking back, one phrase beautifully captured that feeling:
“The world we want to see is the one we want the next generation to see.”
This line was born from the overflowing passion of one of our founding members, then a graduate student, and it remains one of Lively’s most cherished values today. The encounter with Professor Shimmura deeply moved us and stayed with us ever since.

Since then, thanks to a series of wonderful connections, we’ve been working alongside our COO, Mr. Tanabe—who brings together expertise in veterinary medicine, management consulting, and sustainability. Meeting every two weeks, we’ve collaboratively designed and developed an educational outreach program focused on animal welfare.

Supported by a diverse team of specialists and nonprofit organizations promoting animal welfare, we’re proud to share that after two years in the making, in May 2025, our experiential educational program for organizations and groups officially launched at Unshelled.

Through this initiative, we hope to help society better understand, embrace, and deeply integrate the value of animal welfare in livestock farming. We warmly invite you to visit and experience firsthand what it means to reconsider sustainable food systems—by connecting with the emotions of hens  and the lives they lead.

Together with Professor Shimmura, we look forward to welcoming you.