It is very common for news to come out on the internet about whaling in Japan. And among the comments, many ignorant people spew words of hate without even knowing what really happens. Why do the Japanese hunt whales?
Let’s also understand why you shouldn’t act like an idiot by criticizing an entire country because of an insignificant 0.000000000000000001% of Japanese who work hunting whales.
Before we talk about why the Japanese hunt whales, what is involved, and what controversies this generates in the country, we need to understand the whole history, curiosity, and culture surrounding this controversial system.
Hongei – The Capture of Whales
Hongei [捕鯨] is the Japanese word for referring to the capture of whales and dolphins. Currently, hogei can refer to three different types of captures: commercial capture, research capture, and surviving native whales that are rescued.
In Japan, whaling has been practiced since prehistoric times, and unique techniques have been developed that are different from Western ones. During the Edo period, systematic whaling was carried out by a large group called Hogeishudan [捕鯨集団].
There is a long history of whaling in Japan and the West. We do not want to delve into or give credit to the practices of hongei, but if you are curious, just read the page of the Japanese wiki or search for hogei [捕鯨] or nihon no hogei [日本の捕鯨].
The History of Whaling
Since B.C., ruins have been discovered that are presumed to be from whaling. In Japan, whale bones were found in the remains from the Jomon Period, and whaling was also found in the Korean version of the prehistoric sculpture Bangamedaiiwa.
In Europe, whaling by the Basques became popular in the 11th century. In the past, it was mainly used to collect whale meat and oil. Over time, different weapons were created to capture whales.
In Japan, a unique whaling technology developed during the Nara era in the 8th century. The word “Isanatori“, which means whaling, appeared in literature. Initially, it was a method of whaling that used a sword called “push-type“.
In the 16th century, a sword was used to kill whales. In the second half of the 17th century, a technique involving net capture was developed. Whales were difficult to capture because they swim fast and sink in the water when they die.
The group of whalers became a large organization with thousands of people, from capture to dismantling, extracting whale oil, salted whale meat, and others. It is believed that Japan has captured over 21,000 whales throughout history.
A unique culture was born with the workers involved in whaling. In Japan, a culture of prayer for a safe big catch, gratitude, and mourning for the whales was born in various places, mainly among whalers.
How Has Whaling Been in Recent Decades?
In 1974, the IWC adopted the “New Management Method (NMP).” After that, the commercial capture of whales and Nagas sardines was prohibited one after the other. In 1982, the IWC decided to suspend commercial whaling. Japan also accepted this in 1985.
In 1987, Japan began capturing minke whales for research in Antarctic waters. In 1988, Japan halted the trade of whales and mackerel in the North Pacific. In 1994, the IWC adopted the “Revised Management Procedure (RMP).”
In 1997, Norway officially admitted that there was commercial capture of minke whales in the North Atlantic. In 2006, Iceland declared the resumption of commercial capture of minke whales in the North Atlantic (resumed the following year).
In 2010, the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs announced that it would increase the quota for commercial whales to 1,286, the highest number ever. In 2018, Japan announced that it would withdraw from the IWC and officially withdrew on June 30, 2019.
Hongeimondai – The Japanese Struggle Against Whaling
It is not only the West that recognizes the problem of whaling and dolphin hunting. There is a Japanese word called hongeimondai [捕鯨問題] which literally means the problem of whale capture.
Why Do the Japanese Capture Whales?
In the past, like everyone else, the Japanese captured whales for food and obtaining materials. Whale oil was produced from captured whales and distributed throughout the country as agricultural material and kerosene.
Whale baleen was also used as material for various crafts. In addition, whale meat was also used as food, and among them, highly preserved fat and salted fins were widely distributed.
Nowadays, whale meat is practically extinct from the country. Currently, some private organizations obtain permission from the government to hunt whales for scientific purposes, but we believe this is a flimsy excuse.
Is Japan the Only Country That Hunts Whales Today?
Whaling, also known as whaling, has a long history and various reasons. Not only Japan, but Brazil, Portugal, and several countries hunted whales until each country prohibited hunting around 1985.
Currently, besides Japan, Iceland and Norway hunt whales for “scientific purposes.” Indigenous Arctic peoples from the United States, Russia, and Denmark continue to capture whales under the “Aboriginal Subsistence Quota.”
In South Korea, about 2,000 whales have been captured through sporadic fishing, making it a whaling nation. This has also led to accusations of “illegal hunting under pretenses.” In other words, Japan is not the only country currently hunting whales.
The Philippines and Indonesia continue to capture some species of whales, and even Canada conducts whaling for indigenous peoples. Additionally, 71 types of dolphins and whales are outside the control of the International Whaling Commission, subject to the laws of each country.
It is believed that since the international ban, between 1986 and 2008, more than 31,000 whales were killed through whaling. In other words, the hypocritical Western media accuses Japan of killing whales when they themselves end up doing the same thing.
Do the Japanese Eat Whale Meat?
The hunting of whales for the commercialization of meat was globally prohibited in 1982 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Since then, Japan has not hunted whales to commercialize their meat, only for studies.
Still, these scientific organizations end up being accused of commercializing the meat. More than 300 whales are hunted each year, and despite criticism, it is the tourists visiting these countries who end up consuming the leftover meat that is commercialized.
They justify that the meat should be utilized after the studies, thus the meat ends up being sold at absurd prices, mainly to other countries. Today, it is almost impossible to find whale meat in Japan.
Japan has consumed many tons of whale meat just like the rest of the world between the 1950s and 60s, but this consumption has drastically decreased. Consumption still occurs only because bureaucrats in the government allow whaling for scientific studies.
Japan is one of the countries that ends up exporting meat to other countries, while less than 0.1% of the Japanese population has had the chance to try this meat. Even with the return of commercialization, whale meat will not be something easy to find.
Are Whales Extinct?
Currently, it is estimated that there are about 100,000 dwarf whales in the wild, making this species far from extinction. However, common whales are at risk of extinction due to their high consumption in the last century.
The big problem regarding whaling is that they take a long time to reproduce (about two years). Despite this, there are hundreds of different species of whales, some endangered, others far from extinction.
Have the Japanese Returned to Whaling?
The restrictions imposed by the IWC led Japan to withdraw in 2019, ending the restrictions imposed on the hunting of many whales in the Sea of Japan. Did this lead Japan to resume whaling for commercial sale?
Yes, in 2019 Japan returned to commercial whaling, but the government is not crazy enough to drive whales to extinction, no matter how painful the hunt itself is. There is a capture quota, similar to the time when whales were captured for research.
There are specific whales to be captured, and there is a limit of a maximum of 300 whales per year. The government authorized a hunt that does not affect extinction for the next 100 years. Understandable, since humans can easily destroy the earth by then.
Of course, this does not justify anything; it still ends up being a painful practice for whales, being stabbed to death, but nothing so different from what happens with other animals around the world. If you eat meat, you have no right to question anything…
Don’t Be a Hypocritical Idiot
I, like you, am very sad to know that whales are being killed for scientific purposes or recently, to the surprise of many, for consumption. Is this really a reason for so many speeches and hateful comments against the Japanese on the internet?
People think that the fact that some idiots capture whales indicates that the meat is consumed by the general population. I believe it is 1000x more uncommon to eat whale meat in Japan than to eat rabbit meat in Brazil.
Remember that it is only a small insignificant number of people who approve of this whaling. Japan has 127 million inhabitants, and many Japanese protest and hate these events. But like any country, the law is flawed and ends up allowing these atrocities to pass!
Are you really going to judge an entire nation because of a dozen idiot scientists and rich bureaucrats who exploit loopholes in the laws? What do the 127 million Japanese have to do with this? Why only criticize Japan and not the other countries that consume the meat or capture whales?
Generalized, sensationalist, and detail-less news, created only to generate clicks, end up increasing this hatred among people. The same thing happens regarding the number of suicides, and prejudice in Japan. Something small that ends up being generalized.
Remember that saying: First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Before you go out criticizing a country for contributing to the destruction of nature and extinction of animals, stop and think: Does my country not do the same thing? Has it not done worse things to destroy nature? Who am I to criticize a country because of a few people?
And then they complain about their country having a bad reputation just because of a few. Are you not doing the same thing? Unfortunately, we live in a world full of ignorance, misinformation, and hypocrisy; do not let this spread! We are against whaling, but we are also against hatred and the creation of unnecessary controversies.
