Japanese whalers of the Edo period made huge fortunes from an ocean resource that belonged to no one. Other groups stole some meat but weren’t punished.
Practiced in Japan as far back as 4000 BC, and humans are still chasing whales 6,000 years later, largely for a spiritual reward not measured by economics.
The whaling economy was preceded by a battle to overcome a giant creature which, more than profits and losses, required a spiritual vitality.
Whales were resources that swam slowly through the sea. Once brought up onto land, their massive bodies were divided and used until there was nothing left.
Artwork made from the baleen of whales has been an integral part of the culture of whaling communities in Japan and around the world, and some examples are introduced here.
The ongoing recovery in the numbers of fin whales and humpbacks is becoming clearer, and observations of the blue whale indicate a recovery in that species as well.
The use of the Asuka drone allows researchers to identify whales even in the midst of ice floes, where research vessels are unable to go.
Lamafa, an independent documentary about traditional life in a distant Indonesian whaling village, has continued to impress modern audiences around the globe, and was selected by viewers as the best film at the Guam International Film Festival (GIFF). The festival announced Monday, November 29, that the documentary, produced, written, andContinue Reading
Warming waters and the whims of the Kuroshio Current bring new fish and whales to the fishermen at the heart of Japan’s centuries-old whaling culture, and sometimes they turn out to be quite popular.
Warming waters and the whims of the Kuroshio Current bring new fish and whales to the fishermen at the heart of Japan’s centuries-old whaling culture, and sometimes they turn out to be quite popular.
