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U.S. envoy Kennedy tweets concern over Taiji dolphin hunt

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For some reason, dolphins enter the cove en masse

BS. They enter the cove because they are driven in by men in motor boats with big sticks and nets. The clue is in the name, Drive hunt. Though it isn't a hunt, it's a mass slaughter.

19 ( +28 / -9 )

@subyyaki you are wrong. to express concern for something terrible does not mean you are ok with other faults. that logic is ridiculous.

18 ( +20 / -2 )

She is doing her job. Although I'm not American, I support her tweet concerns.

16 ( +28 / -12 )

@gokai if what you say is true, surely in this age of technology there must be a more humane way of keeping the dolphins out of the cove?

16 ( +22 / -6 )

At least it will raise awareness among Japanese, although at the risk of limiting her effectiveness as ambassador. As Ambassador Reischauer said, "never be anything but wildly optimistic about Japan."

16 ( +16 / -2 )

Watch more than half of the Japanese who were proud this woman became ambassador because she is a Kennedy now do a 180 and say it's none of her business or it's an attack on Japanese culture and suddenly loathe the woman -- even though probably none of them eat dolphin or whale. It's the typical knee-jerk reaction: say it's none of their business, claim it's attacking tradition, deflect and talk about unrelated and off-the-wall comparisons like Afghanistan, etc.

The woman is an AMBASSADOR to Japan, and as an ambassador she has the right to express her opinion on things in Japan. If that makes the Japanese here upset because they are being put on the world stage yet again for an abhorrent and outdated practice, then perhaps they ought to blame the practice and not the person bringing it to light.

12 ( +19 / -7 )

Have to agree with mikihouse: she blew it. Already. It is none of the US business. Nobody ever cites the origin of this custom. For some reason, dolphins enter the cove en masse, and lots of them die due to "deoxification" (not sure about the English) of water, and rot, making a big stink. So several generations ago, when the technology became available, people started capturing and kiling the dolphins for food of giving them to aquariums.

Don't make excuses, of course most of the dolphins are not killed for food for the fishes, but quite often for human consumption and also becuase the fisherman think they are a headache, they bludgeon them to death. With all the technology out there, there are other ways they can keep the dolphins at bay.

10 ( +15 / -5 )

@gokai_wo_manekuJ - Dolphins would never die from "detoxification" of water. They don't have gills. They get their oxygen from the air, not water. You do know they are air berating mammals, don't you????? So once again inaccurate statements are used to justify a cruel practice.

@CH3CHO - The US has prohibited drive kills and capture of all cetaceans because it is inhumane.

9 ( +14 / -5 )

She appears to not understand that a medieval society will not follow modern norms.

8 ( +15 / -6 )

We can’t simply nod (to protests) and end centuries of our tradition,” he told AFP by telephone.

"Tradition" does not always equal "correct. Tradition does not mean 'set in stone'. It just means something that has been done for some time. Traditions can and do change. This is one of those traditions that can and should change.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

She can say what she wants. Japanese usually defend anything Japanese anyways even without information. The culture thing is the oldest worn out reasoning in the book.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

Hey, Im starting to like this Ambassador ) An Ambassador in Japan that speaks out against something in Japan? Refreshing.

Its not only the U.S. business, its the worlds business. There is no reason to kill any dolphin. It has a range of emotions and feelings, like humans, there are plenty of other species on the food chain, no need to kill any dolphin.

8 ( +13 / -5 )

What's the Ambassador's stance on SeaWorld?

7 ( +9 / -2 )

I guess the Japanese press is protecting her from herself. I can't find a single mention of this on the major Japanese daily newspapers.

http://www.cnn.co.jp/world/35042729.html

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20140119-35042729-cnn-int  (Yes I know these two are not Major Japanese newspapers, but they are printed in Japanese versions)

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/world/news/140119/amr14011923080004-n1.htm

http://www.asahi.com/articles/DA3S10934481.html

http://mainichi.jp/select/news/20140120k0000m040085000c.html

Yomiuri Online, Nikkei Online - nothing.

The Japanese press are not so much 'protecting her from herself' as protecting the Japanese public from the truth. If the drive hunt slaughter were really the time-honoured holy tradition its supporters claim it is, it would get as much coverage as other traditions/festivals/customs get in national news broadcasts. On slow news days we get lots of charming little pieces about hadaka matsuri, Edo-era blade polishing, food contests etc etc etc ad nauseum. Nothing ever about the charming local tradition of stabbing warm-blooded animals to death. I wonder why?

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Just for the record, the primary person who is fighting against this injustice is Ric O'Barry. He is not associated with Sea Shepherd. People like to post without doing their due diligence. Watch his documentary and read up on his history with dolphins to understand more about this issue. He's famous for training "Flipper" and talks in depth about his experiences with these amazing mammals and why stopping this hunt is so important. It's easy to just say "leave Japan alone" but before you do so, do your research first.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Is Twitter really an appropriate medium for an ambassador to comment on this? If she is worried why not make some form of official statement? It is depressing that the news these days is full of "so and so tweeted" or "such and such said on Twitter".

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Dolphin hunting in Taiji has not been long at all. Even "The History of Taiji," published by Taiji town in 1979, says the first recorded dolphin hunt was in 1933, with other hunts happening in 1936 and 1944. It was not until 1969 that dolphin hunting was held on a large scale. The history of the dolphin hunts spans not centuries but only 45 years in total.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

It is the business of the whole world what happens to these dolphins - there is nothing done that has anything to do with tradition and everything to do with a multi million dollar dirty business of captive dolphin trade - and that is not tradition. These dolphins as I speak after being tapped for now 3 days with no food, in shallow waters, frightened, seeing their families ripped apart - are being mutilated by motorboat engines, their bodies slashed open by nets as they try to escape the killers and trainers, man handled and wrestled being checked over by 'trainers' playing God, selecting who lives a life of slavery in an over sized bathtub being fed frozen fish with drugs in it just to entertain stupid people who pay money to see dolphin shows and visit swim with dolphin facilities world wide - Taiji is the base supplier of live dolphins for this dirty business ! So yes I am afraid that it has everything to do with any country who sill allows the use of captive dolphins and small whales for entertainment - that $$$$ GREEDY $$$$ is what funds the slaughter of thousands of these animals ! These dolphins are wild animals, they belong to no one and deserve to live their lives in the oceans where they are meant to be.

5 ( +12 / -7 )

"Hypocritical" is a false equivalent. We are talking about a dolphin hunt, nothing more. Ms. Kennedy is expressing her opinion because US policy is against drive hunting. So argue about drive hunting of dolphins and not your political objections of an entirely different matter.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

"Centuries of tradition" made me confused... Hasn't this only been going for for a few decades?

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Some people concern because there is too much blood in the sea but the animal die almost instantly anyway.

That's not true. Watch the videos before you post such nonsense.

4 ( +9 / -4 )

@subyyaki

I am always surprised about high level officials and their inappropriate behaviour of trying to bully others over what is deemed bad behaviour before they look in their own back yard.

I think the difference is that in other countries if something like this happened there would be protests and over time something would actually be done about it. We don't continue to engage in horrific activities just to "save face".

Also nothing about her tweets are "bullying". Read them again if you need to understand them better.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

To say that this is not animal cruelty is laughable. No living thing should have to endure such brutal treatment. This is not culture, it is cruelty.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

I can't believe that people are saying we shouldn't speak out about this injustice because there are other injustices going on in the world. Every country commits injustices and we should speak out about ALL of them. Using flawed logic of "well look at what you are doing" simply means that we should NEVER speak out about anything. If you have a problem with things going on in America, then speak out, it's your RIGHT.

In this case, there are many of us that oppose this hunt and we are expressing our democratic free right to say something. It's as simple as that. You are free to do the same, but don't tell someone that he or she should not speak up about something because their own country is not perfect. We know that, and will speak out against those "other" issues just the same. In the meantime, this article is about the dolphin hunt, and many of us are exercising our right to protest it.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

She has a right to comment on whatever she pleases. The dolphin hunt is a national disgrace. If she wants to comment on it then that's her prerogative Read my comment further up regarding hypocrisy. We will fight all battles, and not choose to ignore the lesser battles simply because there are larger issues out there.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

“We’ve got our lives. We can’t simply nod (to protests) and end centuries of our tradition,” he told AFP by telephone.

Yes we can!

3 ( +5 / -2 )

TeacherX: There are issues other than 'attacking culture', as the weak retort often made. Did you take into account the astounding mercury levels in the meat, as has been scientifically proven (the people in Taiji who eat the meat have extremely high levels of mercury in hair samples, for example)? How about the fact that until recently, and actually probably still, the stockpile of rotting meat because almost no one wants to eat it is force-fed to students via school lunches despite said mercury levels? The fact that these people get government subsidies on a venture that does nothing but lose money? That the mayor of Taiji says it is completely open to the public but there are massive tarps shielding the event and won't comment on any questions given? (amazing SS got the footage they did, though I doubt they'll get any of the slaughter itself).

I mean, put aside the fact that it's not the war in Afghanistan (as some people like to deflect to), it's not sardines, but the horrible way they kill the dolphins -- it's also a safety issue as well as a monetary one. People who criticize what this woman said are embarrassed about the practice. So stop the practice.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

It's amusing when the Japan-defenders and Japanophiles reply in knee-jerk reaction to anything that may seem anti-Japan or cast a bad light on the Japanese. In this case, it's akin to an automatic call to arms to defend so-called tradition however barbaric and inhumane it may be.

2 ( +9 / -7 )

Well done, Ms Kennedy. However I wish you`d do more than just tweet. Capturing and selling wild dolphins to marine parks is not "tradition"

2 ( +7 / -5 )

didn't take long for the radicals to condemn the ambassador. Good on her for highlighting this barbaric and utterly unnecessary, venile slaughter.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Dolphin hunting in Taiji has not been long at all.

so the "It's our tradition." argument was false all along. Nothing to do with anyone's culture.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

She`ll probably get summoned for the comment.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@letsberealistic: Are you seriously comparing human beings to dolphins? I wonder if you put your dears on the same level of dolphins.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The definition of hypocrite needs to be changed in the dictionary to, "U.S. envoy complaining about the inhumanity of killing a few dozen dolphins, while the U.S. continues to kill thousands of people in Afghanistan".

1 ( +12 / -12 )

"Inhumane" treatment for dolphins? I thought the word "humane" came from human.

Yes it does. According to the dictionary:

humane |(h)yoōˈmān| adjective

1 having or showing compassion or benevolence : regulations ensuring the humane treatment of animals. • inflicting the minimum of pain : humane methods of killing.

2 formal (of a branch of learning) intended to have a civilizing or refining effect on people : the center emphasizes economics as a humane discipline.

ORIGIN late Middle English : the earlier form of human , restricted to the senses above in the 18th cent.

Note the examples of use given for the primary meaning have a heavy leaning towards the treatment of animals by humans. It's our compassion for others that makes us human. By denying humane treatment to other animals, you deny your own humanity and in fact back up what those of us who oppose the slaughter already know; those engaging in and supporting the bloodbath are less than human.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

A what gets me is the hyprocrisy, whether you like or agree with Kennedy, she has a right to express her views and if the Japanese don't like it, well, too bad. It's just an opiniôn, I would completely understand if she made an ultimatum, but she never did. I just get tired of hearing every excuse in the book about Japanese are doing extensive whale research or you don't understand what these dolphins are doing, they interfere with the fishermen, but I have news for these people, in the deep ocean, where you have fishermen catching fish, you will have dolphins and seagulls, other birds, bigger fish and sometimes seals joining in on the action, I have NEVER heard or seen a slaughter by other fishermen around the world, of course these animals are going to try and get a few tasty treats, if the Japanese were more forthcoming and just admit, we like whale, we hate the dolphins, it's better than to lie and make 1000 excuses as why they are doing this to these animals. Even when I try to talk about The Cove, or to have a discussion, Japanese never want to hear, or talk or debate the issue, it's always, we are dumb foreigners, we don't understand, the movie is a lie, its propaganda to make Japan and Japanese look like buffoons. Again, if don't agree with any of it, but that's my humble opinion, but I just don't want to hear Japanese conflat the issue. At least be honest about your true intentions, for Pete's sake, everyone else already knows the truth.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Weather you think it is a Centuries old tradition or not- capture for Dolphinariums is not a tradition- The economic benefits to these dolphins being kept in the wild are a resource that will go on for centuries whereas the slaughter will endanger them in a very short space of time- they are not meeting their quotas now- Dolphinariums are dying out and so will the dolphins in Taiji- smarten up Taiji hunters and set yourselves up in a tourist industry that can benefit the entire community and not just a few. Japan's good name will be so tarnished soon that it will never recover- Besides the meat must be full of mercury- so that is a big problem for you too- this Fukashima and the Olympics- you are threatening big economic backlash. Can you afford this bad publicity????

1 ( +3 / -1 )

what is all this about "capturing and using dolphins in marine parks is inhumane"? Apples and oranges- nobody is killing any dolphins in any marine park, the dolphins enjoy being around humans, unless they are trying to kill them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Denying that the cove regularly is running red with blood, when video footage proves this to be a lie, is ridiculous. Pretending that this is all for tradition and culture, is ridiculous, as fishing for food is tradition and culture, but selling captive mammals to amusement parks, is greed and a very recent "tradition".

Nobody from the Western hemisphere can tell Japanese people what to eat, but we can resent the sale for big bucks in a few pockets by this brutal and inhumane slaughter. The mammals take up to 30 min to die, others meanwhile are ran over by skiffs and get wounded. Now 200 are in the cove locked up for 4 days now without food. Anybody calling this normal, humane and traditional, should be locked up in this bathroom without food to experience by himself.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The Japanese press are not so much 'protecting her from herself' as protecting the Japanese public from the truth.

The Japanese press are covering this. So much for media conspiracy theories.

http://www.asahi.com/articles/DA3S10935919.html

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What will happen is all the parks where the captive dolphins get sent are going to be boycotted.

By who? Japanese theme parks are visited primarily by Japanese people - and they either don't know about the dolphin hunt, or don't care.

Once more Japanese people know that the dolphins they are paying to see jump around at Kamogawa seaworld are connected to the slaughter in Taiji - then theyll stop as well.

And you're wrong about this as well. The Japanese don't jump on these issue stories like people in western countries. You know how on facebook, there are always 'issue' posts that get shared around - 'Monsanto is bad', 'this government is doing _', 'that company perpetuates __'? Well Japanese don't share posts like that. For the most part Japanese people are not activists. So even if/when they know about the dolphin hunt, it's not going to stir up emotion in them like it does in westerners. And it's definitely not going to result in boycotting an aquarium, not when there are cute dolphins to go see.

When that happens, the hunters will just be left with a highly tainted food source. At that point, how long do you think theyll hide behind the pretence of "culture"?

They are already eating this 'highly tainted' food source. They may well stop at some time in the future, but it's going to have nothing to do with any protests from westerners, it will be because the government steps in and says 'this meat is toxic'. And the government isn't going to do that because of protests from westerners, it will do it if it worries about lawsuits from the populace for not saying anything.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It is time to call Japan out on all the barbaric and outdated relics of their past.

I'd like the USA did the same. Instead they think they have higher moral than any other else, yet they kill thousands of people every day in their imperialist wars. And some of their citizens think that you can compare children to dolphins.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Readers, please do not let your emotions run away with you.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Taiji is one of the smallest towns in the world and has a very very tiny business there. I wonder why they bring it to world biggest issue here? It seems that all people should not eat all kinds of meats because of inhumane.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Sometimes I feel it was mistake Japanese changed our clothes from kimono to western clothes. If we had been looked totally different from westerners in outfits, they might not have tried to change Japanese so much.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Gokai Thumbs up for retracting your mistaken post. It seems there is still not widespread awareness about this issue or, as you found, misinformation. I think I'd be thick-skinned enough to accept criticism from an ambassador to my country if he or she pointed out a questionable practice which wasn't fully known about and debated or had seen misinformation spread about it. I'd actually be grateful. The question of why this practice still isn't widely known among many Japanese people must arouse suspicion.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

dolphins are a gift to th world.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I've never eaten dolphin, is it any good?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The ambassador speaks against Taiji's annual dolphin hunt as a representative of USG then what will she do about the selling , buying of selected dolphins to marine parks in the US ? What will she comment about the disagreement between Japanese researchers and UK researchers about almost instant death of dolphins with current killing technique?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

pointofview: "She`ll probably get summoned for the comment."

Actually, she probably won't. I'd imagine they want to keep as tight a lid as possible on this, and Ms. Kennedy strikes me as being the type who would openly argue against being summoned for a personal point of view, thus making the issue even more widely spread.

Teacher X: "I agree with this this is defiantly an issue with eating any large sea creature, but the issue here is not the health of the people in Taiji."

Wrong. The mercury and other health issues is part and parcel to the whole event, and you cannot therefore separate them. In fact, the director of The Cove said that was the main reason of his documentary -- to alert the public to the safety issues, with the brutality of the slaughter coming in second. Apologists just want to separate the problems of the entire issue. But hey, if you want to say the fact that eating the meat is dangerous is a subject irrelevant to the discussion of the 45 year old 'tradition', why do they kill the dolphins? If not for the meat, for fun? If for the meat, then the health issue is ENTIRELY relevant as it proves to be but one reason why this barbaric practice should be stopped.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

aussie-musashiJan. 21, 2014 - 03:14PM JST

instead consider how the dolphin hunt is hurting the feelings of the rest of the world.

So, you say dolphin hunt is hurting the feelings of the people in the US and probably in Australia. That shows the depth of acceptance of different culture or multi culturism in those countries. Actually, when I lived in the US, I always felt the pressure to assimilate into the US culture.

0 ( +3 / -4 )

@TeacherX Just because something is legal does not make it right.. and this is very wrong on so many levels. Their waters? Yes of course Their dolphins? No., certainly not. Dolphins a highly migratory.. they are just passing through and should be celebrated not murdered. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24756168

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Cove Guardian is associated with SS though.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Thanks, Cleo very well said and to others, Mrs Kennedy is by no means an uneducated lady, to try and understand anyone's cultural standards (let alone in different areas of that country) compared to your own is dangerous to do. I have lived in a number of different countries and cultures and it can take a long time to understand all the nuances of the new country you are in. In some you can get in deep trouble just looking at some one the wrong way or on the wrong day! Especially when that country (Not pointing fingers) has an inherent negative feeling towards you in the first place. I think her job as an Ambassador is extremely difficult ( Think, just put your self in the shoes of the ambassador from Tibet in Being or the guy trying to represent Israel in Egypt). hmmm, Think If the dolphin killing is a inhumane thing to do as some say and that term should not be used well ... Then at least it is barbaric and does that fit better?

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Wow. Our Caroline managed to muster up the energy and willpower to send a tweet. Lovely. The definition of "slactivism". Who knows, maybe some day she might manage to click "like" on a Facebook page about protecting wildlife.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Nessie - yes, it's mentioned, but very low-key, and not by all the media. I haven't seen anything on telly about it (though I admit I haven't been glued to the box the past couple of days - other things to do. It might have been on the news, but not on any news programmes I've managed to catch). Same as the Antarctic whaling, it's mentioned rarely and only then to remind us yet again that it's a 'perfectly legal, traditional activity' and that those opposed to it are in the wrong and need to be set straight.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@smithinjapan.

You are very sure of your comments.

As I stated eating any large sea creature has a the risk of mercury. The US FDA recommends pregnant mothers not to consume canned tuna for this reason. But the issue of mercury is not what this is about. I really can't see people from foreign countries caring about this as a health issue. It's the killing of the dauphins which has people upset! This is the angle the documentary maker was really trying. So if you believe otherwise then propaganda has beaten you too! And as far as justifying the hunt why should they need to? It's their local waters. They are not breaking any local or national laws. People should learn to respect what other people do in their culture. Don't have to like it but do have to get over it!

X

-1 ( +2 / -4 )

What will happen is all the parks where the captive dolphins get sent are going to be boycotted. Once more Japanese people know that the dolphins they are paying to see jump around at Kamogawa seaworld are connected to the slaughter in Taiji - then theyll stop as well. When that happens, the hunters will just be left with a highly tainted food source. At that point, how long do you think theyll hide behind the pretence of "culture"? Make no mistake, the days that Taiji fishermen are going to profit from their "culture" are numbered

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@anbihn>You run a fish farm you need to control dolphin. Some people concern because there is too much blood in the sea but the animal die almost instantly anyway.

What utter BS. This drive hunt cannot be justified on any level.

It is horrifically cruel. The dolphins often suffer for days trapped in The Cove before being subjected to one of the cruelest deaths possible. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10888705.2013.768925#.Ut9107TFKUl http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23380-new-japanese-method-for-killing-dolphins-is-inhumane.html#.Ut915bTFKUm

Many dolphin species are threatened with extinction. Some species have been almost exterminated in Japanese waters, yet the Japanese government still issues permits for more to be killed. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24756168 http://www.eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-Toxic-Catch-report-FINAL.pdf

The meat is full of mercury, poisoning those that eat it

Modern science has shown that dolphins are exceptionally intelligent, self aware and emotional. Their brain to body mass quotient is second only to human beings leading to calls for them to be given special status. India has already given them this 'non-human persons' status http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24756168

Now.. what is your justification for this mass murder?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

aussie-musashi - Japan is hurting the feelings of decent, peace-loving nations around the world. Japan should stop crying about having their feelings hurt, and instead consider how the dolphin hunt is hurting the feelings of the rest of the world. Even Yoko Ono has come out against it now!

Most of the people in the world don't care, one way or the other, about dolphins. The fact that Yoko Ono, the woman who broke up the Beatles, has voiced her opinion about this issue means that even more people will ignore this story just in case Yoko decides to sing to or about the dolphins.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

YES, the world cares in fact! The world is actually devastated. so keep going to close your eyes.

Since I had to watch on the news what Japan is doing to the dolphins, I am extremely devastated. I always had the belief, that Japan is a country with a long, high developed tradition of a kind world and nature. I always believed Japan is a highly intelligent country. But obviously they have no knowledge of things the rest of the world knows for 1000s of years, even my own kindergarten-children - what kind of an animal the dolphin really is, - its capacities... - that it is a very trustful animal and that the fisheries ind Japan betray this natural trust in a very brutal and unhuman way.

I really really hope, even Japan might overthink this brutal and unhuman behavior.

Dolphins a such wonderful creatures, but everyone wants to see them happy and certainly not been captured and torn away from their family and brutally mistreated. There might be a way to enjoy those precious animals in there natural way.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@Reckless: I guess you can't see how hypocritical the US government is, if you think this way.

-2 ( +1 / -4 )

Though it isn't a hunt, it's a mass slaughter.

It can be, and is, both, Cleo.

I like your comment about the j-media reaction.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

"The town fishermen defend the hunt as a cultural tradition," Well cultural traditions is not a license you can go kill animals that lives in the ocean. These animals needs to protected and the World does not have to accept Japan's tradition of killing whales anymore.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@tinawatanabe: Japan is hurting the feelings of decent, peace-loving nations around the world. Japan should stop crying about having their feelings hurt, and instead consider how the dolphin hunt is hurting the feelings of the rest of the world. Even Yoko Ono has come out against it now!

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

@yildiray This "tradition" is very old. It is since the early 17th century.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Has Kennedy even been to Taiji to witness this yet, speak to the officials there, talk to the fishermen? I met her at a business event recently. She was up on stage and supposed to do a few Japanese New Year's Customs things and she looked around so lost like a little kid who just lost her parents. It was a very good thing that there were other foreigners that lived here in Japan for a long time to guide her. She is suppose to be an Ambassador. That would mean know both sides of the story before commenting on it. Don't just bring American belief's here and try to change things. Look from both sides, witness, speak to the locals and then put in your two cents.

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

Ms Kennedy has the power to do more than just tweeting. She should seek another audience with the imperial family - who are known to be scientic/ eco-system minded, and see what can be done

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Dolphin hunting in Taiji has not been long at all.

http://www.seijo.ac.jp/graduate/gslit/orig/journal/jomin/pdf/sjpn-24-03.pdf

On page 6, "The origin of organized whaling in Japan is said to be in Taichi, Wakayama, where Wada Yorimoto started whaling using harpoons in 1606."

The target of "whaling" in those days included dolphins.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

It is time to call Japan out on all the barbaric and outdated relics of their past.

How do you think the USA are more "civil"? Typical American arrogance.

-4 ( +11 / -16 )

It's precisely because of comments like hers that the Japanese will continue with this practice....they will never be told what to do by a foreign power.

-4 ( +4 / -7 )

Now if she could get the emperor to come out against the dolphin hunt - that would be another matter entirely

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

This is a disease of people living in the city, where wild life had been wiped out. They come to the country side and say to the people there, "We do not kill any wild animal in the city. So, you should not, either." They live in "advanced society" where people do not kill wild life and, by the way, no wild life lives.

The cure to this disease is to live in the country side and get food by themselves.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

@bass4funk, I will debate you!

You choose to debate with them in English I guess? Well I guess that puts them at a disadvantage as their native language is Japanese.

So let's begin....

Every culture has their own peculiarities, what one culture does May seem strange to another or another group of cultures. This does not make it wrong! If I insisted that part of your culture was wrong, I think this would make you more resolute to continue doing that practice. Now coming back to the dauphin hunt that is their culture. The more people attack that the more the Japanese will dig their heels in. And come up with excuses that like "the movie The Cove is propaganda." Now the definition of propaganda is: Propaganda is a form of communication aimed towards influencing the attitude of the community toward some cause or position by presenting only one side of an argument.

So with that in mind the movie the cove is essentially propaganda.

-5 ( +5 / -9 )

"USG (US Government) opposes drive hunt fisheries"

Aha! So the US government thinks dolphins are fish!

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

@smithinjapan

mercury levels in the meat, as has been scientifically proven (the people in Taiji who eat the meat have extremely high levels of mercury in hair samples, for example)?

I agree with this this is defiantly an issue with eating any large sea creature, but the issue here is not the health of the people in Taiji.

probably still, the stockpile of rotting meat because almost no one wants to eat it is force-fed to students via school lunches despite said mercury levels?

Again said levels of mercury are in all large predatory sea life, so it would be akin to giving your child a canned tuna sandwich or salad, but without the propaganda.

So again if you read between the SS propaganda it is clearly not an issue.

X

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

aussie The hunt is legal, OK? Foreigners trying to make Japan's legal actions stopped based on foreigners value is very evil, very arrogant, very hepocrite.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Whether the US Government supports fishing in this manner or not - does not have impact on Japan.

Whether the US decides an sea going mammal is more important than any other creature of the sea does not matter

in reality Whales were hunted almost to extinction - and the US had one of the largest fleets, so it was easy to put whales on a reserved fishing list and claim that the US had come to see the light- in reality there was no need to hunt whales anymore.

dolphins , well the US does not eat dolphin, if there was a market for them - the US would be in it.

She may have have a legacy but the kennedey days are long past- and i am tired of people dragging one out for a spin once in a while.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

I COMPLETEL RETRACT my above post about "deoxyfying of water" and dolphins dying. I got completely fooled by a thread on the blog spot 2Channel in Japanese. As pointed out above, it must be complete nonsense. I will make a post on 2Channel. But I still do not think this is an issue for any US ambassador, who should make statements about US-Japan relationships. US-Japan relationships will not be cut off because of Taji, but it will make Japanese feel bad about her and the bossy moralistic US.

-6 ( +7 / -13 )

I don't agree with killing dolphins what-so-ever but Kennedy needs to think before she blurts out stuff like this, pigs in the US are killed far more inhumanly than these dolphins and pigs are as intelligent as a 3 year old human.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

You guys are hurting Japanese people's feelings. The media doesn't report so much because it doesn't need to. You are pushing around your culture on Japanese people. It is your culture of loving dolphin that make you feel brutal the way they kill dolphins. Human beings kill all animals brutally.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

By reading posts here, I can see some countries adore dolphin madly. When I was in US, a family tried to persuade me how cute and clever dolphins are. I thought they must have some special attachment to dolphins since when they were small maybe by education or culture.

-8 ( +4 / -13 )

I guess the Japanese press is protecting her from herself. I can't find a single mention of this on the major Japanese daily newspapers.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

bass4funkJan. 20, 2014 - 12:22PM JST

but I have news for these people, in the deep ocean, where you have fishermen catching fish, you will have dolphins and seagulls, other birds, bigger fish and sometimes seals joining in on the action, I have NEVER heard or seen a slaughter by other fishermen around the world

Have you seen hunt for sardine? The fishermen catch tens of thousands of life in one giant net, and there are thousands of by catches in the net. They are all killed. Is not this called "slaughter"?

if the Japanese were more forthcoming and just admit, we like whale, we hate the dolphins, it's better than to lie and make 1000 excuses as why they are doing this to these animals.

I do not understand what you are trying to say. I think they tell the true story. Where did you get the idea that Japanese are lying?

-8 ( +2 / -11 )

Kennedy...greenhorn. A diplomat being drawn into controversial topics and mouthing about them.Tsk tsk tsk. Keep your hands on your pants lady.

-9 ( +19 / -27 )

I am always surprised about high level officials and their inappropriate behaviour of trying to bully others over what is deemed bad behaviour before they look in their own back yard. I could be wrong, but I think there are many other issues of much higher importance to be dealt with before this issue. It gives the impression of a cop out and going for an issue topic where not much effort has to go into explaining it to the public.

-10 ( +19 / -29 )

"Inhumane" treatment for dolphins? I thought the word "humane" came from human. Has the US legalized animal rights for dolphins? What is the legal basis for her comment?

-10 ( +10 / -20 )

No matter what your opinion is on the "Dolphin" issue, this is NOT a forum where a foreign ambassador should be expressing her opinions. Her job is to help build and cement relationships, not stirring up hard feelings...

-12 ( +8 / -20 )

She really is in not place to judge. She is an American in Japan. If she wanted to make a difference she should be in a different government agency.

-15 ( +6 / -21 )

You run a fish farm you need to control dolphin. Some people concern because there is too much blood in the sea but the animal die almost instantly anyway.

-19 ( +5 / -24 )

Have to agree with mikihouse: she blew it. Already. It is none of the US business. Nobody ever cites the origin of this custom. For some reason, dolphins enter the cove en masse, and lots of them die due to "deoxification" (not sure about the English) of water, and rot, making a big stink. So several generations ago, when the technology became available, people started capturing and kiling the dolphins for food of giving them to aquariums.

-24 ( +11 / -33 )

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