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Japanese whaling town holds annual memorial service for whales

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Their country, their traditions, their right.

Not for anyone else to judge.

-5 ( +16 / -21 )

Others are free to judge but should not think that their views are supported by the ‘international’ world, or have any special sway.

There are people all over the place with all sorts of opinions, and just because one of those groups gets upset about something and petitions and lobbies doesn’t mean that others ought to tie their line.

International society is not a democracy.

8 ( +14 / -6 )

I've never know why the huge debate about whales, if they want to do it for the conservation then do it for the other fishes.

Other countries also have hunted big game but it wasn't hotly debated.

Just because something is majestic doesn't mean it should get more attention.

4 ( +13 / -9 )

Yes, it is true that Taij does have a long tradition of hunting whales and dolphins. However, the tradition stopped when they started selling live dolphins to aquariums around the world. From that point onwards it became a business and very lucrative one that earns them hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. Another point that is always left out of this argument is, the Japanese sea-life aquarium association condemned this practice and disassociated itself from the Taiji hunt and sale of live dolphins due to the cruelty involved in the hunt. It seems that, Japan always plays the culture card in an attempt to cover a lucrative business.

-1 ( +11 / -12 )

Really nice touch by the town to hold a memorial service to hunted whales, very heartwarming and shows ethical sustainability.

No other place in the world does that. Not even the anti-whaling nations are bothered enough to hold whale memorials for their “supposedly” beloved whales. Hypocritical and heartless

0 ( +0 / -0 )

ethical sustainability

What does that mean? The word you're looking for is duplicitous. Unless you're vegan

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

As a supporter of whales, I feel offended. I guess I should contact the authorities (or someone like Noda Seiko) and make my feelings known.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

Not even the anti-whaling nations are bothered enough to hold whale memorials

When you aren't killing whales you don't need to have ceremonies celebrating their deaths. Is that logical?

Perhaps whale watching ventures which happen everyday are a form of worship so your point is rather contrived.

4 ( +15 / -11 )

They should hold the ceremony in front of the huge freezers that hold the 5000 or so tons of whale meat that nobody wants to eat. Instead of burning incense they should burn a wad of tax yen

Hypocritical and heartless

...is what holding a memorial to something that you want to kill more of with exploding harpoons for political capital is...

1 ( +10 / -9 )

Really nice touch by the town to hold a memorial service to hunted whales, very heartwarming and shows ethical sustainability.

Simplistic, naivety at its purest form. Politicians will dream that the voting public is this easy to manipulate.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

If they want to memorialize whales, how about leaving them unmolested in their native habitat?

Traditions change with the times.

6 ( +14 / -8 )

Most people in the world support commercial whaling. Most of us love to eat delicious whale meat and dolphin meat. I strongly support Taiji's whaling tradition. It should be expanded to more towns in Japan. No one has the right to tell us what not to eat. In my opinion, there is no such thing as endangered species exist in the world.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Like a mass murderer holding a memorial service for his victims

5 ( +14 / -9 )

Well done to Taiji, and hope the whale hunt is upped 10 fold. It's time for a return to commercial whaling!

-9 ( +7 / -16 )

However, the tradition stopped when they started selling live dolphins to aquariums around the world.

Traditions change over time. And many traditions have been commercialized. Neither changes nor commercialization ends the underlying tradition.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Neither changes nor commercialization ends the underlying tradition.

Moderate people are not asking the people of Taiji to end their tradition. We have no problem with them hunting whales for their community, or even the country at large. But unlike many traditions, this one doesn't just affect the people of Taiji, it affects the entire planet. Traditions have always evolved. We're asking them to realize that this isn't the 19th century and unrestricted pillaging of the oceans cannot happen again. Even at heavily subsidized prices whale meat is oversupplied in Japan, demand continues to fall and stocks continue to increase. Show a little humanity please, you can still have your whale meat and eat it.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Giving thanks to the living things we kill and eat is a good tradition.

You're not eating it though, you're sticking it in freezers in increasing amounts. Give thanks to the freezers.

Only a shallow human being would see this solely as a political issue.

You have to be joking. Only a naive human being would deny that it isn't a political issue in Japan. Your arguments are getting weaker and weaker Ossan. It's a shame because on most matters you seem quite logical.

Here's my question, which nobody who wishes to catch more whales has ever been able to answer. Whale meat is in high supply, at low prices, yet demand is dwindling. So why do you want catch more of it?

If you can answer it, I'll build my Betamax video shop tomorrow.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Not for anyone else to judge. actually its is, the worlds oceans are everybody resource, if Japan or any other country hunts a species to near extincting, and these are quiet a few , then it is up to others to judge harshly. Just because a country has a certain delicacy doesn't make it the exclusive right of that country to over fish. Just as Japan complains about China/NK poaching its marines species, its every other countries right to do the same of Japan

2 ( +4 / -2 )

 It's time for a return to commercial whaling! yep then China , Taiwan and Korea will send their factory ships to compete with Japan, theres plenty of hungry pets that need feeding. When everybodys in it for the money, history has taught us what happens to the whales next. please dont give the BS conservation excuse, Japans track record of ocean conservation is abysmal.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Neither changes nor commercialization ends the underlying tradition. until there are no prey left to hunt then tradition is extinct as fast as the prey. Ask the American Indians what happened when the white man killed off all the Bison, basically killed their culture overnight

3 ( +5 / -2 )

In my opinion, there is no such thing as endangered species exist in the world.

And you're entitled to your opinion. Everybody has one. But your opinion would hold a lot more sway here and elsewhere if it were rooted in reality...

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Traditions change over time. And many traditions have been commercialized.

A small step, but congratulations for graduating from the 'tradition' argument and at least calling it what it is; commercial gain. Although, this commercial enterprise happens to be run by insane business-men and women who base their decisions from a place of ego ill logic. It's just bad and ugly business from the inside out.

Maybe one day the goal posts will stop being moved on this debate...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Thomas Ryu , I "hate" to break it to you but most people of the world are against whale and dolphin hunting. When you say there are no endangered species, then you are clearly misinformed or just in denial, several species are on the brink of extinction, including several whales and elephants and some have already been hunted to extinction! Tell me, what will you eat when whales are no longer on this planet? Probably another endangered species, etc., etc.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Hypocrisy as only japan can do it.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The whale species hunted by Japan are not in danger of extinction.

So very wrong. Japan killed 134 Sei whales last year. They are listed as 'Endangered'. An endangered species is a species which has been categorized as very likely to become extinct according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

It seems Japan wishes to cause a species to become extinct in order to 'research' if they can hunt it commercially.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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