Whaling

• Japanese: 捕鯨 (hogei)

Whaling was practiced in various times and places throughout Japanese history. Controversy today between animal rights activists and those who claim the hunting & consumption of the meat of whales (and other cetaceans) is a traditional practice, has led to heated political difficulties, as well as in-person clashes on and off-shore.

Whaling was also practiced by the Ainu, and quite heavily in the 18th-19th centuries by Americans and Europeans, whose whaling ships played a significant role in the history of the Pacific, including in encounters with the Japanese.

History

Bones of whales and other cetaceans have been found in many Jômon period sites, often fashioned into various tools. While some scholars suggest that Jômon people likely lacked the technology to actively hunt whales, and that instead they likely only made use of whale when a creature was beached or otherwise distressed, an opportunistic practice known as yorikuja, others argue that at least some Jômon peoples, in some regions, might have had such technology.

In the Edo period, whale meat, whale oil, and certain other cetacean-derived products, were prominent trade goods. Whaling took place chiefly in the Sea of Japan, but also on the Pacific coast, e.g. in Tosa province, which was strategically located along whales' migration paths.

In the first half of the 19th century, American and other Western whaling ships often came to Japanese ports or coastal villages seeking food, water, fuel, and other supplies, or safe harbor where repairs could be made. The conflict between Western desires on these matters, and the Tokugawa shogunate's policies of maritime restrictions, led to clashes at times, and was a key element of the eventual push on the part of the Western powers to "open" up Japanese ports to Western ships. Whaling ships also feature prominently in the cases of Japanese castaways such as John Manjirô and Jirôkichi who were rescued by whaling vessels and brought to the United States or elsewhere, and in the cases of figures such as Ranald MacDonald, who were castaway (intentionally in MacDonald's case) in Japan.

Today

In the 20th century, particularly the post-war period, it became common for a time for canned whale meat to be served as part of school lunches in public schools. As a result, many Japanese alive today who grew up during that time think of it as a rather common/standard thing. Whale meat, prepared in a variety of ways, continues to be relatively easily available in many parts of Japan, including the big cities.

Much controversy surrounds the continued practice of whaling by Japanese today. Environmental and animal rights activist groups such as Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd have taken a stand on the issue, with some groups directly interfering with whaling activities; this has sometimes resulted in rather violent clashes. Local whalers / fishermen in some regions claim this is their traditional practice, and/or simply their livelihood, arguing on those or other grounds that the practice should be allowed to continue. Meanwhile, on a national policy & diplomacy level, Japan has on a number of occasions claimed that most or all Japanese whaling performed today is for scientific purposes, though detractors have argued this to not be the case.