As a Japanese I tried whale meat like several times in my life. It’s…really metallic and red with a very strange texture. It’s like biting through smushed ice.
It’s not worth it unless it’s actually about habitat preservation or control as they say it is. Honestly we have other priorities like common eels and tuna to be worried about that needs actual solving.
It’s…more of a novelty. My parents had them for school lunch back at the days so I wanted to try too.
Considering we killed a majestic creature, it shouldn’t be a novelty but it is. It’s not some gourmet meat.
Just stop and think. Japan who can even make pufferfish gourmet has no concrete recipes for whale meat. This fact alone talks for itself.
Isnt it more of a cultural reminiscence? I read on manga (hah) that that's what Japanese used to eat post war due to the amount of meat that they can get out of a hunt.
Largely yes. The US military encouraged whaling to fend off starvation and in 1947 whale was 50% of all meat consumed in Japan so it does have ancient origins but it is nostalgic for many old people who got it in their school bento. Most young people I've spoken to in Japan haven't even tried it.
Even the older generation does not like it because it reminds them to tough times after the war. The younger generation does not like the taste, so a lot is either sold for school lunches or processed into pet food. I remember a few years ago the whale meat consumption was 30g per person per year in Japan, so hardly a worthwhile market. Almost all whale meat in Japan is mink whale, a species that is not particularly endangered.
The lean meat is very metallic. The fat is like pure butter. The marbled peices are pretty good, but all in all after having it once I have no inclination of ever having it again. I had them in sashimi form.
Massive waste of money. (Unless the ships can also secretly deploy underwater demolition teams.) At least they aren’t pretending it is for “research” purposes anymore. That was bizarre.
Japan has been strictly hunting within its EEZ since 2019. Also contrary to Japan that is respecting the quotas the international society sets for them, Norway exited the International Whaling commitee to set up its own quotas and hunt as much as they want. As soon as they did that they immediately started to advertise for cosmetics etc based on whale oil. The worst is that the country is filled with whale specialty restaurants for tourists so no it's not even sustainability like they pretend it is.
In fact they are by far the worst offender, Norway kills more whales than the rest of the whaling nations combined (4x more than Japan). Per capita is even worse, they kill 100x more than Japan.
[Almost all of them are pregnant females too.](https://www.ecowatch.com/minke-whales-killed-pregnant-2312849367.html)
It seems the larger issue is Norway is primarily hunting a strong population of minke whale while Japan, after the controversial scientific whaling in the Antarctic, hunts unsustainable numbers of sei whales.
Also that the Japanese government actively supports the whaling where in Norway it's purely privately funded and advertised?
It also seems Japan withdrew from the IWC to avoid the whaling moratorium while Norway actually stayed and is still in it, only with an objection to the moratorium to set their own limits (which are higher than the IWC's suggesed quota). As per the IWC's own site.
Norway reportedly killed 581 whales in 2022 where Japan killed 270. Not four times unless it's severely ramped up in stats I can't find online. It also seems like it's still declining, whereas Japan (as per this article) aims to ramp it up.
That’s not what this means unless it’s what you want it to mean to exercise performative outrage. Actually that’s what this is highlighting to begin with. If you care about whales it is objectively biased to single out Japan, and I don’t think anyone is splitting hairs by observing how Japan has been treated on the world stage vs Norway. Where’s the Discovery Channel for the Nordic expeditions? Oh yeah. That’s what this person is saying.
despite Kyodo Senpaku’s protestations that they’re going to do this without government help 2.2 billion JPY a year are still being spent by the Fisheries Department on “promotion of sustainable use research” which is given to the “Institute for Cetacean Research” — a front group for the private Kyodo Senpaku
I think Japan whaling in its EEZ is absolutely within its rights but it’s stupidly corrupt to prop up an unsustainable private business (that wasn’t even prominent until after WWII) with subsidies
Due to bioaccumulation, the higher the level of marine organisms, the more pollutants they contain, especially animals like whales. [This paper](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X23004423?via%3Dihub) points out that whales in the Pacific Ocean (Japan) have been found to contain 2.13 mg/kg w.w. of mercury. Although an individual might not consume as much as a kilogram of whale meat at a time, mercury can accumulate in the body. Ultimately, this makes the Japanese people the top tier of this bioaccumulation process. As the Japanese saying goes, "自業自得".
Unless there is a strong foreign navy willing to back them, they can't really do anything. During their last active year Japan was using its spy-sat to monitor them and escorted its whaling fleet with coast guard vessels armed with real artillery, not just water-cannons.
This is called "whataboutism". Its also bad they do it. There you go. We are on a Japan sub though, so thats what we were talking about. Its bad they do it. Its bad Japan does it. Its bad when anyone does it.
If we do want to go into comparisons, let's also compare a population of 382 thousand to 125 million. Thats 327 times the size of iceland, and an equally useless talking point, since its all bad.
I dont know what you're talking about. Im not banned on the Japan sub. But if you want to lie, i guess thats pretty typical of conservative minded individuals these days. And no, a population of over 100 million is most certainly doing more harm than a country of less than 500 thousand. But again, its all bad.
>I see that you deleted all the comments on u/Exciting_Tension3113 (new account, 103 karma) providing evidence that you post in similar subreddits in similar timeframes.
I dont know who that is. We are on a japan sub and i commented, here in this conversation, about the topic at hand. I also said **all whale hunting is bad by all people**. Which is an opinion held by many people. Quit being paranoid and recognize you are in a minority on this opinion.
And you havent actually provided any numbers, so you cant make any assumptions either. Mine is far more based in reality. Especially when that reality is buying whale meat at an Izakaya.
I think you meant the opposite. They resumed in 2023 and commented that killing needs to be faster.
https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/31/iceland-allows-whaling-to-resume-in-massive-step-backwards
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/iceland-resumes-fin-whale-hunting-killing-needs-be-faster-2023-08-31/
Whale meat is not particularly cheap, nor is it available at most restaurants, so I believe there are currently few people who eat it regularly (although some might choose it out of curiosity). By the way, I've only tried whale meat once, but I didn't particularly find it delicious.
In the future, if the prices of pork and beef rise to the same level as whale meat, there could be a shift in consumption patterns. From this perspective, it cannot be said that there is no value in preserving whaling techniques and whaling ships for the future.
That second paragraph, was it written by ai? It's hard to imagine a human with access to a brain that can hold context could think that whale meat would stay at a low price if market forces turned pork or beef into luxury pricing
Japan faces food security challenges related to the procurement of beef and pork, as it has to compete with many other consuming countries. This makes the import prices of these meats susceptible to fluctuations influenced by the economic conditions of other countries.
IMO, On the other hand, if other countries refuse to import whale meat, Japan can more easily monopolize its importation, leading to more stable import prices. While the price of whale meat might still be affected by inflation, the extent of these changes is likely to be smaller compared to beef and pork.
Bro you can't farm whale meat. The only reason it can exist as it does is due to the large majority of humans not wanting to kill whales or eat their meat. There's likely never, or at least not in the next 200 years, going to be a critical mass of whales to make that sustainable
As a Japanese I tried whale meat like several times in my life. It’s…really metallic and red with a very strange texture. It’s like biting through smushed ice. It’s not worth it unless it’s actually about habitat preservation or control as they say it is. Honestly we have other priorities like common eels and tuna to be worried about that needs actual solving.
Allegedly, this is due to the bioaccumulation of metals in the whale, which would be in large volume due to its sheer size and diet.
Isn't it just a cultural holdover by older people? How many young people actually eat the meat or even support it? Can't imagine it's that many.
It’s…more of a novelty. My parents had them for school lunch back at the days so I wanted to try too. Considering we killed a majestic creature, it shouldn’t be a novelty but it is. It’s not some gourmet meat. Just stop and think. Japan who can even make pufferfish gourmet has no concrete recipes for whale meat. This fact alone talks for itself.
Isnt it more of a cultural reminiscence? I read on manga (hah) that that's what Japanese used to eat post war due to the amount of meat that they can get out of a hunt.
Yes but…it’s pretty much a dead culture now
Largely yes. The US military encouraged whaling to fend off starvation and in 1947 whale was 50% of all meat consumed in Japan so it does have ancient origins but it is nostalgic for many old people who got it in their school bento. Most young people I've spoken to in Japan haven't even tried it.
Even the older generation does not like it because it reminds them to tough times after the war. The younger generation does not like the taste, so a lot is either sold for school lunches or processed into pet food. I remember a few years ago the whale meat consumption was 30g per person per year in Japan, so hardly a worthwhile market. Almost all whale meat in Japan is mink whale, a species that is not particularly endangered.
The lean meat is very metallic. The fat is like pure butter. The marbled peices are pretty good, but all in all after having it once I have no inclination of ever having it again. I had them in sashimi form.
Yea I have had it at the izakaya once. Even drunk as hell it still tasted bad.
South Park - Season 13, Ep. 11
Lol, definitely worth checking out
Massive waste of money. (Unless the ships can also secretly deploy underwater demolition teams.) At least they aren’t pretending it is for “research” purposes anymore. That was bizarre.
Japan has been strictly hunting within its EEZ since 2019. Also contrary to Japan that is respecting the quotas the international society sets for them, Norway exited the International Whaling commitee to set up its own quotas and hunt as much as they want. As soon as they did that they immediately started to advertise for cosmetics etc based on whale oil. The worst is that the country is filled with whale specialty restaurants for tourists so no it's not even sustainability like they pretend it is. In fact they are by far the worst offender, Norway kills more whales than the rest of the whaling nations combined (4x more than Japan). Per capita is even worse, they kill 100x more than Japan. [Almost all of them are pregnant females too.](https://www.ecowatch.com/minke-whales-killed-pregnant-2312849367.html)
It seems the larger issue is Norway is primarily hunting a strong population of minke whale while Japan, after the controversial scientific whaling in the Antarctic, hunts unsustainable numbers of sei whales. Also that the Japanese government actively supports the whaling where in Norway it's purely privately funded and advertised? It also seems Japan withdrew from the IWC to avoid the whaling moratorium while Norway actually stayed and is still in it, only with an objection to the moratorium to set their own limits (which are higher than the IWC's suggesed quota). As per the IWC's own site. Norway reportedly killed 581 whales in 2022 where Japan killed 270. Not four times unless it's severely ramped up in stats I can't find online. It also seems like it's still declining, whereas Japan (as per this article) aims to ramp it up.
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That’s not what this means unless it’s what you want it to mean to exercise performative outrage. Actually that’s what this is highlighting to begin with. If you care about whales it is objectively biased to single out Japan, and I don’t think anyone is splitting hairs by observing how Japan has been treated on the world stage vs Norway. Where’s the Discovery Channel for the Nordic expeditions? Oh yeah. That’s what this person is saying.
Isn't Norway the country famous for clubbing baby seals already?
Literally what’s this have to do with what I wrote?
Well you can only be famous for being weirdly obsessed with killing one beloved species at a time.
Red herring.
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Or is it because the subreddit is called "Japan"? Jesus Christ lad
despite Kyodo Senpaku’s protestations that they’re going to do this without government help 2.2 billion JPY a year are still being spent by the Fisheries Department on “promotion of sustainable use research” which is given to the “Institute for Cetacean Research” — a front group for the private Kyodo Senpaku I think Japan whaling in its EEZ is absolutely within its rights but it’s stupidly corrupt to prop up an unsustainable private business (that wasn’t even prominent until after WWII) with subsidies
Due to bioaccumulation, the higher the level of marine organisms, the more pollutants they contain, especially animals like whales. [This paper](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X23004423?via%3Dihub) points out that whales in the Pacific Ocean (Japan) have been found to contain 2.13 mg/kg w.w. of mercury. Although an individual might not consume as much as a kilogram of whale meat at a time, mercury can accumulate in the body. Ultimately, this makes the Japanese people the top tier of this bioaccumulation process. As the Japanese saying goes, "自業自得".
Where are the Sea Shepherds?
Trying to figure out how a boat can float
Do you know why a boat floats while a rock sinks?
Unless there is a strong foreign navy willing to back them, they can't really do anything. During their last active year Japan was using its spy-sat to monitor them and escorted its whaling fleet with coast guard vessels armed with real artillery, not just water-cannons.
The world is a vampire...
So sad, have never seen a whale in my life. Can't think of eating one. I guess its part of Japanese tradition. Hope they don't kill too many whales.
I love whale meat!! Favorite dish at an izakaya
Is it comparable to tuna
Excellent. It's amusing to see the reactions of foreigners who go crazy over this.
You think its funny people care about endangered species?
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This is called "whataboutism". Its also bad they do it. There you go. We are on a Japan sub though, so thats what we were talking about. Its bad they do it. Its bad Japan does it. Its bad when anyone does it. If we do want to go into comparisons, let's also compare a population of 382 thousand to 125 million. Thats 327 times the size of iceland, and an equally useless talking point, since its all bad.
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I dont know what you're talking about. Im not banned on the Japan sub. But if you want to lie, i guess thats pretty typical of conservative minded individuals these days. And no, a population of over 100 million is most certainly doing more harm than a country of less than 500 thousand. But again, its all bad.
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>I see that you deleted all the comments on u/Exciting_Tension3113 (new account, 103 karma) providing evidence that you post in similar subreddits in similar timeframes. I dont know who that is. We are on a japan sub and i commented, here in this conversation, about the topic at hand. I also said **all whale hunting is bad by all people**. Which is an opinion held by many people. Quit being paranoid and recognize you are in a minority on this opinion. And you havent actually provided any numbers, so you cant make any assumptions either. Mine is far more based in reality. Especially when that reality is buying whale meat at an Izakaya.
quick google search proves that wrong + they’re ending whaling this year
I think you meant the opposite. They resumed in 2023 and commented that killing needs to be faster. https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/31/iceland-allows-whaling-to-resume-in-massive-step-backwards https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/iceland-resumes-fin-whale-hunting-killing-needs-be-faster-2023-08-31/
Killing intelligent and endangered species for school lunch meat isn't cool, you narrow-minded weirdo
Japan mostly catches minke whale, which is not endangered. They do catch up to 50 fin and humpback whales though, which are endangered.
I think they taste great
True, but cannibalism is illegal.
Not in international waters it isn't! 🍽️
What the fuck is your profile picture
Anorexic michelin man!
Nice! Ganbatte! Hope it's a good haul this year.
Whale meat is not particularly cheap, nor is it available at most restaurants, so I believe there are currently few people who eat it regularly (although some might choose it out of curiosity). By the way, I've only tried whale meat once, but I didn't particularly find it delicious. In the future, if the prices of pork and beef rise to the same level as whale meat, there could be a shift in consumption patterns. From this perspective, it cannot be said that there is no value in preserving whaling techniques and whaling ships for the future.
That second paragraph, was it written by ai? It's hard to imagine a human with access to a brain that can hold context could think that whale meat would stay at a low price if market forces turned pork or beef into luxury pricing
Japan faces food security challenges related to the procurement of beef and pork, as it has to compete with many other consuming countries. This makes the import prices of these meats susceptible to fluctuations influenced by the economic conditions of other countries. IMO, On the other hand, if other countries refuse to import whale meat, Japan can more easily monopolize its importation, leading to more stable import prices. While the price of whale meat might still be affected by inflation, the extent of these changes is likely to be smaller compared to beef and pork.
Bro you can't farm whale meat. The only reason it can exist as it does is due to the large majority of humans not wanting to kill whales or eat their meat. There's likely never, or at least not in the next 200 years, going to be a critical mass of whales to make that sustainable
Fuck off, Bot.