*Understanding the Market Drivers Behind the Reduced Demand for Ivory Products in JapanLaura Thomas-Walters, Benoit Morkel, Takahiro KUBO, Michael 't Sas Rolfes, Robert J Smith & Diogo VeríssimoConservation & SocietyNovember 8, 2022 Abstract* Reducing demand for wildlife products has been recognised as an important global priority. However, consumer demand is a complicated phenomenon involving numerous interacting biological and socio-economic factors, operating at a range of scales and time periods. The demand for elephant ivory is an excellent illustration of the gaps in our current knowledge. Although it is well-documented that Japan is no longer a significant destination consumer market for ivory products, we have little insight into the market drivers behind this change. This is partly because post-hoc evaluations are difficult when relying on traditional quantitative methods. We used General Elimination Methodology and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders to understand the consumer changes in Japan. We identified the two biggest market drivers—the CITES international trade ban and economic recession—as well as a range of minor drivers and enabling conditions. These included respect for government authority, the passive nature of demand for ivory, and a general cultural shift away from conspicuous consumption. This case study highlights the role of theory-based qualitative evaluations in conservation, which recognises that specific outcomes are likely to be caused by multiple contributing factors driven by interactions between different actors. *ABSTRACT LINKhttps://conservationandsociety.org.in/preprintarticle.asp?id=360609 <https://conservationandsociety.org.in/preprintarticle.asp?id=360609> *