Revisiting the Roots of the Whaling Issue: The Relationship Between Humans and Nature
2022-09-21
In practice the IWC has already abandoned the management of whale resources and whaling, and the Western worldview caused this situation.
Revisiting the Roots of the Whaling Issue: Sustainable Use, Environmental Protection
2022-09-21
Not the whaling moratorium, but the defense and promotion of the general principle of sustainable use is the important policy issue for many countries.
A Lifelong Friend of Whaling: Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in His Own Words
2022-08-29
Abe’s legacy included overseeing a dramatic shift in Japan’s whaling policy, from the decision to withdraw from the IWC to the restart of commercial whaling.
Whales in the Japanese Landscape: Taking Life, The Naked Providence of Nature
2022-07-24
“We give thanks that we were able to make the catch without incident. We can’t forget our gratitude for the gift of another life” ー Taiji whaling captain.
Whales in the Japanese Landscape: Proud Thieves Seeking the Riches of the Sea
2022-07-06
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.
Whales in the Japanese Landscape: A Test of Character, Past and Present
2022-06-16
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.
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