A taste of whale

Mercury rising

When did ICJ say Japan are not allow to consume whales meat. How could you not love Japan politicians twisting of stop hunting whales to consuming whales meat.

Eating beef western culture and eating whales Japanese culture.

It made me vomit!

Ok, so Japanese research looks like. I always thought research is related to brain!

A blubber bash?

Thank you Japan Today for posting such disturbing early morning photo. And to think women are also into this thing ?

Photo taken an hour after being served

I'm surprised to see young faces in that crowd.

Mmmm Bacon.

26th! What a grand tradition of whale hunting they have here!

looks fun and delicious! Wonder what it taste like. I hope they serve whale meat in America, I would like to visit a whale meat restaurant one day.

Look everyone, science!!!!

This is the research they are doing... It's laugh-a-minute antics as our heroes Kenji and Koji bicker over which whale is the most delicious, a true fun-for-all event. Bring your kids!

Feeding time at the whale trough.

Well that's a slap in the face.

a true fun-for-all event

Or "fin"-for-all...

If whale meat were popular it would have its own section in the supermarket.

＠TokyoGas

I think you have an error... it should say

"If whale meat was more available it sure be have its own section in supermarkets."

There fix it for you

There's a ton of whale meat rotting away in the freezer... Whale meat is plenty available, just no demand.

They are just confirming the courts ruling that whale is exclusive hunted for eatting, at least they could have pretended to look at some "research" before chowing down.

Pure propaganda as most Japanese hate whale niku. It is just disgusting and think they were well paid for the photo ops.

OK... why you "don't kill whale" people read this?

http://www.news-digest.co.uk/news/life/voxpop-list/2416-1109.html

You will find that there is a big percentage of Japanese that support the consumption of whale meat.

"You will find that there is a big percentage of Japanese that support the consumption of whale meat."

Daniel: Define "support"

Looks like about everybody is eating with chopsticks. All cut in pieces? Right side girl is eating wide noodle. Maybe sidedish is more popular?

@Daniel Neagari

How could you be so wrong? All reports have pointed to an overabundance of whale meat in frozen storage. Not sure if you are trolling or actually believe what you posted.

disgusting

barbaric

Not a classy buffet...cheap tableware, everything just piled randomly on one table. Looks bloody awful.

All in the name of science.

It must be good if they have to give it away! I wonder just how often these wombats actually eat whale. Once a year at this 26 year old cultural tradition? - There are ample whale stocks in the oceans around Japan to feed this minority. There is no reason for Japan to hunt whales in the southern ocean, except greed, of course.

looks fun and delicious! Wonder what it taste like. I hope they serve whale meat in America, I would like to visit a whale meat restaurant one day.

Please tell me you are being sarcastic. I, for one American, have no desire to taste whale, lest Japan somehow interpret that as approval of their unnecessary slaughtering of whales simply to uphold a non-existent tradition. Kinda like this event.

I hope that they leave the IWC, and continue whaling scientifically (not "for" science) at levels to match demand, like the Norwegians. It is sad that they kill whales to let them rot but, humane that they hunt whales. http://web.archive.org/web/20020205184207/http://www.eatthewhales.com/index.html

I know I'm going to get a lot criticism over saying this, but I don't think eating whales is essentially a bad thing.

What these people are doing in the picture are demonstrating a cultural stand against the rest of world and you can't blame them. When you have outsiders try to tell you what you're doing is wrong and call you barbaric, you become defensive and stubborn.

The only reason I would say it's bad to eat whales is because the species is endangered and it's very unhealthy to eat whale meat because of the heavy metals in the meat.

@Mr_Gaijin The Japanese whalers say that their science was good enough to show that the whales they were whaling were not endangered and I believe them. Another advantage of whales is that they suffer less over their life time. Grizzly end admittedly. Additionally since Whale meat are hunted and not farmed, their consumption will not lead to retribution in the form of a flu pandemic. Hunting is vastly preferable.

So much for all he anti-whaler's arguments that nobody in Japan eats whale meat anyway. Thumbs down doesn't change the truth.

Please tweet this so these idiots can have some spotlight of shame!

Barbaric... Digusting... These are the things you people shout out. I eat whale. There is nothing barbaric about it. It's a delicious meat.

Cortes, you've eaten some? Yuck!

By doing this they have only confirmed what the world has long suspected. Unless they are all food scientists, this clearly isn't research.

@Seiryuu_DanAPR. 16, 2014 - 08:27AM JST looks fun and delicious! Wonder what it taste like. I hope they serve whale meat in America, I would like to visit a whale meat restaurant one day.

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I don't know which state you live in USA, but there is no whale meat serving eateries in Las Vegas. Or stick to seafood, If you can not find whale meat in grocery mart, then your area do not have whale meat restaurants.

It's not about just eating a small sample of whale from the stocks. Or telling the rest of the world to stick it. Hunting and killing whales in Japan in the Antarctic is a criminally subsidized venture for a very few. Whales are not fish, but social mammals, and who are we to slaughter their tribes.

Revolting and disturbing.

@Macelito

Seems you haven(t set a foot in most Izakaya and sea food product places here in Japan....

As the caption says "official, lawmakers and lobby groups" these people are clearly those who have some level of interest in the continuation of whaling, most likely financial. I bet there are not many (if any) of your average Japanese there.

Whaling is subsidised but so few actually eat it that it's a loss-making venture, normally such a thing would be left to die but because there are law makers and officials who stand to gain from the subsidies is why whaling is still being touted as a tradition.

Well if they plan on doing what they want there will most likely be consequences. I wonder what their reasoning is for supporting it... Its heritage or culture doesnt cut the mustard anymore.

This is the extent of the "research".

Whale bacon can be found in a lot of izakaya - heck even cheap chains like hanbei have whale bacon...

I am old enough to know the taste of whale meat. It is delicious and tastes better than beef.

After 1984, I refrained from eating whale meat, because I felt that too much demand for whale meat would invite criticism from conservation groups. Now, I do not know if I should eat whale meat as much as I like to show support for whale eating, or refrain from eating it to save the limited supply of the meat.

This photo just goes to show, to the world, that the Japanese scientific research was a big, neon-signed lie.

I wish JT would mention that just how few people eat whale/dolphin instead of highlighting this media event.

They are just confirming the courts ruling that whale is exclusive hunted for eatting

The courts ruling said no such thing.

This photo just goes to show, to the world, that the Japanese scientific research was a big, neon-signed lie.

And just how does it do that?

Well lots more in icy storage where that came from. I am guessing 10+ years worth.

I can eat pretty much anything - well, anything that's stopped moving that is - and I've tried whale, various cuts, both cheap and expensive, and I'm not surprised that there are tonnes of the stuff rotting in storage.

I don't think this is good for eating.

It isn't the principle of the thing, I just don't think this is good meat.

Perhaps it's like baked beans, if you've had it from an early age, you get to miss it, but I could never get to like whale.

I can't see it becoming popular.