Whaling

1. Whaling Invented Tradition

2. Arguments for Whaling • “Research” • Tradition • Food culture • Also used in tuna case • Whales deplete fish stocks (predators that need to be controlled) • Western nations did it in the past • Stand up to the US • Western (aka white) nations dictating to non-western (aka non-white) nations (racism argument)

3. Research (Counter Arguments) • Non-lethal methods available • Large numbers taken • Japanese “research” has not discovered anything that was not already known • Disguised commercial whaling

4. Tradition and Culture伝統　文化 • “It’s our tradition and culture” is most common justification • Questions for students? • What is “tradition?”

5. Tradition • A tradition is a practice, custom, or story that is memorized and passed down from generation to generation, originally without the need for a writing system. Tools to aid this process include poetic devices such as rhyme and alliteration. The stories thus preserved are also referred to as tradition, or as part of an oral tradition. • 伝統とは人間の行 動、発言、思考及び慣習に見出される歴史的 存在感を総称していう。 または、人間の生存・生活の中に長い歴史を通して表される種々の慣習や形式、価値観を総体的に指し、狭義には、個々の集団が個別に有する慣習、形式、価値 観を指す。 伝統は、また、それまでの歴史の中で形成されて来た種々の形態の中から、特に重んじて次世代に継承すべきものに対する精神的な立場を指す。

6. Does Tradition Validate Anything? • Whaling argument • Eating whale is a tradition → Japan is not to be criticized for whaling • What about other Tokugawa era “traditions” • Torture • Crucifixtion • Persecution of Christians • Discrimination against “outcastes”

7. Does Tradition Validate Anything? • もっとも、武士や河原者の社会では、犬がある程度常食されていた。15世紀に記された相国寺の『蔭涼軒日録』によると、犬追物の後、犬を「調斎」し、蔭涼軒に集まって喫したとある。武士の鍛錬法（場合によっては見せ物にもなった）である犬追物は、広場で放たれた犬を標的とｵて鏑矢で射つものであるが、その後の処理についての記述である。また、犬追物のための犬は、専用に飼育されていたとは限らず、多くは町内や市内といった人間の生活空間の中にいた犬を捕獲することでまかなっていたらしく、それを生業とする専門集団や独自の道具まで存在していた。 • また『建内記』（大日本古記録）には「播磨・美作など山名氏領国で山名一党は狩猟を好んで田畑を踏み荒らし、犬を捕らえ終日犬追い物を射、あるいは犬を殺してその肉を食す」という記述もあり、犬を撃ち殺して食べる習慣があったことをうかがい知ることができる。 • １５世紀の日本で犬が食用されていたことは、考古学の事例でも示唆されている。大内文化（大内教弘が公家や文人墨客をもてなした）の舞台となった大内氏当主の別館・築山館跡の発掘調査では、食用に供された可能性のある犬や亀などの切断された骨が2006年に出土している。前qのとおり、中世では西日本で犬が食用に供されていた文献が残っているが、本州西端の山口でも普及していたことを示す史料として注目された.

8. Does Tradition Validate Anything? • 江戸時代に入ると、犬食は武士階級では禁止されたが、17世紀の『料理物語』には犬の吸い物を紹介する記述がある。18世紀の『落穂集』には、「江戸の町方に犬はほとんどいない。武家方町方ともに、江戸の町では犬は稀にしか見ることができない。犬が居たとすれば、これ以上の､まい物はないと人々に考えられ、見つけ次第撃ち殺して食べてしまう状況であったのである。」としている. • しかし、徳川綱吉の生類憐れみの令で、表立っての動物殺生に対する忌避感が増幅され、犬がとりわけ「将軍家の護神」とされて保護されたことにより犬食の習慣はかなり後退した可能性がある。また、「座敷犬」「抱き犬」として狆などが流行する等、犬食文化の衰退の要因は増えｽ。 • 江戸時代中期以降も犬や猫の肉が食用として一部で流通していたようだが、天明の大飢饉により米価が高騰し深刻な米不足が起こった際、江戸北町奉行曲淵景漸が犬や猫の肉の価格を示して「米がないなら犬や猫の肉を食え」と発言し町人の怒りを買い、江戸市中で打ちこわしまで引ｫ起こす結果となったことから、当時既に犬や猫の肉は一般的な食材として認識されていなかったことが伺われる。

9. Is Whaling a Tradition? • Questions for students? • When did whaling begin in Japan? • What form did it take? • How widespread was it? • How was the whale carcass used? • When did factory ship whaling begin? • Is the whaling that Japan is now doing “traditional?”

10. “Traditional” Whaling in Taiji

11. Factory Ship Whaling • Begins 1899 • Norwegian technology • Norwegian captains • Violently opposed by some communities that considered the whale sacred • Unrelated to “traditional whaling” • Imported foreign pattern

12. Whale Meat Consumption • Questions for students • When did whale meat consumption become general? • Why? • In what form?

13. 38:08:04 Newspaper Article • Porterhouse steak and been sukiyaki have nothing on whale meat prepared in the same way, as far as nutritive values go, and one can get used to the peculiar odor of whale if around it long enough and often enough. • Those are the conclusions reached by Mrs. Riki Sasaki, an assistant in the Nutrition Research Institute, after a few experiments following a suggestion by the Central Price Policy Commission that people in Japan should eat more whale and less beef and pork. • To climax her experiments, Mrs. Sasaki on July 28 served a whale steak lunch to Dr. Tadasu Saeki, director, and other members of the institute, according to the Nichi Nichi. The paper does not report how the repast was received by the dietary experts, but it points out that, after all, it was only an experiment. • Whale meat, says Mrs. Sasaki, has a whale of a lot of protein, being equal in that respect to beefsteak. Moreover, it may be served as a steak, as sukiyaki, or in any other form in which beef is prepared. It is also a good idea to grill it with shoyu sauce and ginger, and its peculiar odor, to which most people object, will be no bother, once you get used to it.

14. Whale Meat Consumpion

15. Whale Meat Consumption • Used in school lunches • NOT generally consumed • Consumption in decline well before IWC limits imposed

16. Historical Arguments • Western (white) nations did it in the past • White nations dictating to non-white gets some response in developing nations • Japanese government has “bought votes” in non-white developing nations • Previously alleged • Sunday Times (London) caught Japanese delegates making promises in exchange for favorable IWC votes (see handout) • Argument not accepted in other areas

17. Standup to America • “America” engages in whaling, therefore it has no basis for criticizing Japan. • Argument made in recent NHK broadcast

18. Inuit Whaling • 175 whales per year • Small boat whaling • Consume what they catch • No US government money or involvement

19. The Cove • 2009 film directed by • Filmed in Taiji (Wakayama) in 2007 • 2010 Academy Award as Best Documentary • Subject of right-wing protests in Japan • Most theaters have cancelled showings

20. Taiji, Wakayama • Population 3,444 • Birthplace of “traditional whaling” • Infamous for annual dolphin kill

21. Mercury • Animals higher up the food chain accumulate organic mercury from the animals the eat • Tuna, dolphin, whales are at the top of the food chain • 2009 survey of Taiji residents • 30 per with 4 times national average of mercury • No residents with classic mercury poisoning symptoms • Minamata disease symptoms • Mortality rates notably higher than nearby villages that do not eat dolphin • School lunch issue

22. Whaling and the Japanese Press • Almost no coverage until 2009-2010 • First NHK prime time programs in 2010 • Kujira monogatari 鯨物語 • Four part historical series • Heavy on (inaccurate) history and cultural arguments • US dictating to Japan • Arrest of activist for boarding ship • Greenpeace and Sea Sheapherd • Government “party line” coverage • Little effort to present Australian or New Zealand view

23. Whaling and the DPJ • Despite public hearings 事業仕分け to cut or eliminate wasteful government programs especially amakudari 天下り projects, whaling was NOT cut • At least 50 DPJ Diet members believed to be in pro-whaling group • Attempts by Japanese activists to get a list of pro-whaling DPJ members have been rebuffed • Check for yourself • Search on 捕鯨 事業仕分け

24. Whaling and the Abe Government

25. Books in English on Whaling

26. スライド終了 • Slides and Readings • www2.gol.com/users/ehk/keio/images • ehk.servebeer.com/keio/images • Office Hour • None at Keio • eMail addresses • ehk@gol.com (not for large attachments) • ehkuso@gmail.com • eMail with Korean or Chinese headers is often marked as spam by gol and gmail