The charity is targeting its 90,000-strong UK membership database as well as members in Australia, Canada and Denmark. The activity, created by direct marketing agency Kittcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw, involves a pre-written mailing to the Japanese minister for the environment asking him to "show the red card to Japan's parks of pain".
It points out that in these parks more than 1000 bears are confined in barren, concrete prisons "where they are forced to beg and fight for food in a degrading spectacle".
"With the eyes of the world on Japan during the World Cup there has never been a better time to campaign for the closure of these places of suffering, said WSPA spokeswoman Kay Cooper.
"The red card is designed to capitalise on the currency of the World Cup with a symbol that is recognised throughout the world, said Howard Saunders, account director at Kittcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw. "The UK is the wellspring for most of the WSPA's marketing ideas since the British public are very sympathetic to animal welfare causes."
The WSPA's lobbying campaigns have so far resulted in stopping the practice of bear dancing in Turkey. It has also convinced the Pakistani government to ban bear baiting and lobbied local government in Cairo to outlaw the common practice of shooting stray dogs.
The organisation has 400,000 supporters and operates 13 offices worldwide.
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