Section for NBR Promotion, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Japan.
Exp Anim. 2009 Oct;58(5):451-7. doi: 10.1538/expanim.58.451.
The Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata), along with rhesus and long-tailed macaques, is one of the macaca species. In Japan, it has been preferred for use as a laboratory animal, particularly in the field of neuroscience, because of its high level of intelligence and its gentle nature. In addition, the species has a relatively homogeneous genetic background and field researchers have accumulated abundant information on the social behavior of wild Japanese macaques. As future neuroscience research will undoubtedly be more focused on the higher cognitive functions of the brain, including social behavior among multiple individuals, the Japanese macaque can be expected to become even more valuable as a laboratory animal in the near future. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has launched a National BioResource Project (NBRP) to establish a stable breeding and supply system for Japanese macaques for laboratory use. The project is in progress and should lead to the establishment of a National Primate Center in Japan, which will support the supply of monkeys as well as social outreach and handling of animal welfare issues.
日本猕猴（Macaca fuscata）与恒河猴和长尾猕猴一样，属于猕猴属。在日本，它被广泛用作实验动物，特别是在神经科学领域，因为它具有较高的智力和温顺的特性。此外，该物种具有相对同质的遗传背景，野外研究人员积累了大量关于野生日本猕猴社会行为的信息。由于未来的神经科学研究无疑将更加关注大脑的高级认知功能，包括多个个体之间的社会行为，因此日本猕猴在不久的将来有望成为更有价值的实验动物。日本文部科学省已经启动了一个国家生物资源项目（NBRP），旨在建立一个稳定的用于实验的日本猕猴繁殖和供应系统。该项目正在进行中，预计将建立一个日本灵长类动物中心，该中心将支持猴子的供应以及社会宣传和动物福利问题的处理。
