| > | | | | Japan. In 1606, organized groups of whalers began |
| While pro- and anti-whaling groups feel very strongly | | | | hand-harpoon whaling in Taiji. Taiji is the birthplace of |
| about saving or consuming whales, most Japanese do | | | | Japan's traditional whaling method. Taiji is now known |
| not appear to have strong feelings on this topic. | | | | for its annual hunt, slaughter, or killing of dolphins and |
| Mercury poisoning from eating whales, dolphin, and | | | | small whales. Depending on your perspective, you can |
| large fish is not a major topic of interest either, but it | | | | select the term you prefer. While both Westerners |
| should be. | | | | and Japanese criticize the hunt, slaughter, or killing of |
| Travel Japan from Okinawa to Hokkaido, talking with | | | | dolphins and small whales, the people of Taiji need an |
| Japanese, and the same subjects will surface again | | | | alternative to replace this source of income. Could an |
| and again: the variety in Japanese cuisine, your opinion | | | | economy centered around dolphin- and whale |
| of Japan, how small Japan is, and the best way to | | | | watching earn enough to do so? |
| learn English. The list goes on, but eating whale is not a | | | | I can't really endorse the killing of Flipper, but neither can |
| topic that often comes up. The topic of eating dolphin | | | | I condemn the people of Taiji. I do eat other meats. I |
| never comes up. | | | | can say with certainty, however, that people who eat |
| Whale is just not among the many topics that | | | | dolphin or whale frequently are putting their health at |
| Japanese like to talk about. Mention Japanese food | | | | risk. Even people who eat too much large fish need to |
| other than whale, Japanese writing, anything about | | | | be careful. The marine mammals and large fish toward |
| Japan or English, or just talk about sports and the | | | | the top of the food chain store mercury. A recent |
| conversation flows. Talk about whaling and the | | | | study done by researchers from Health Sciences |
| response and interest is just not there. Watch the | | | | University of Hokkaido and Daiichi University's College |
| news or read the paper and the topic will appear with | | | | of Pharmaceutical Studies found some residents of |
| regularity. The same old arguments appear from both | | | | Taiji had dangerously high levels of mercury in their |
| sides. The groups opposing whaling will speak with | | | | bodies. |
| passion of how Japan's research whaling is a fraud | | | | Some of the residents tested had more than 50 parts |
| conducted to put whale on the table. The supporters | | | | per million (ppm) for mercury, which can lead to |
| of whaling will speak about how whaling is a part of | | | | neurological problems. The average mercury level |
| Japanese culture and whale stocks have sufficiently | | | | among the residents tested was approximately 10 |
| recovered. The pro-whaling groups usually conclude by | | | | times the national average in Japan. An earlier study of |
| declaring that people have no right to tell them what to | | | | dolphin meat served to children in school lunches in the |
| do. They ask why eating beef is fine but eating whales | | | | Taiji area showed that the mercury was higher than |
| is not. | | | | the health ministry's accepted level of 0.4 ppm: over 10 |
| Both groups may be correct but the world is passing | | | | to 16 times higher. This amount of mercury should be |
| them by. While the Japanese population has whale | | | | setting off warning bells somewhere. |
| aficionados, they are not standing on every street | | | | Japan's cultural memory for earthquakes, typhoons, |
| corner or sitting in every sushi bar. I listen to Japanese | | | | and other natural disasters is strong. The memory of |
| praise fresh fruit, fall foods, sashimi, and ramen. They | | | | the danger of atomic bombs is even stronger. |
| talk about different kinds of rice and ramen, but have a | | | | However, the Japanese memory of the menace and |
| marked lack of interest in whale. I have brought the | | | | danger of mercury poisoning seems much weaker. |
| subject up several times and nobody really seems to | | | | Has Minamata been forgotten? Chisso Corporation |
| care. Several people have replied that they ate whale | | | | dumped an estimated 27 tons of mercury into |
| when they were younger, but really don't care for it. | | | | Minamata Bay, causing severe mercury poisoning to |
| There is far more concern about diminishing tuna | | | | thousands of people. The residents of Taiji are |
| stocks and increasing prices. | | | | probably consuming some of that very mercury today. |
| If I visited Taiji in Wakayama prefecture, I might feel | | | | Regardless of whether you are for or against whaling, |
| differently. Whaling is more important, historically and | | | | or whether a dolphin is food or Flipper to you, mercury |
| culturally, to the citizens of Taiji than other places in | | | | consumption is, like the plague, something to avoid. |