Whales in the Japanese Landscape: The Power of the Warrior Spirit
2022-05-25
The whaling economy was preceded by a battle to overcome a giant creature which, more than profits and losses, required a spiritual vitality.
Whales in the Japanese Landscape: A Natural Resource and the Start of Manufacturing
2022-05-18
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.
Rare Artwork from the Baleen of Whales
2022-03-12
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.
In Chiba Prefecture’s Minamiboso, Fighting to Save Coastal Whaling Traditions
2022-02-17
There was a time when whale meat was so common in Japan that we almost expected it to be a part of every meal. But this changed from the late 1980s, when the International Whaling Commission (IWC) placed a moratorium on commercial whaling. Since then the overall whale market hasContinue Reading
Whale Research Drone ‘Asuka’ Debuts at Japan Drone Exhibition
2021-12-14
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.
Whales in Your Living Room
2021-11-10
The Taiji Whale Museum launches virtual 360-degree panoramas The Taiji Whale Museum, located in the small town of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, is focused totally on whales and dolphins, a rarity in Japan. The museum features a three-story exhibition hall on whale biology and whaling history, live dolphin and whale shows,Continue Reading
‘Lamafa’ Documentary Wins International Film Award, ‘More than a Whaling Movie’
2021-11-05
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.
New Whale Meat on Plates in Taiji as Fishermen Adjust to Whimsical Kuroshio Current
2021-10-29
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.
INTERVIEW | Sustainable Resource Management is Still the Key Goal for Japanese Whaling ー Tsutomu Tamura
2021-10-25
His research reveals how whales change their diets, and may even change their migrations and shift to new habitats because of changes in water temperature and the availability of fish they feed on.
INTERVIEW | Hirohiko Shimizu: Managed Well, Whales Will Sustain Us Over the Long Haul
2021-09-15
“We’ve eaten countless numbers of chickens, pigs, and cows. Whales are another living thing, but the blessings a single whale can provide are much greater.”