InfoAnda - Japan whaling town dreams of glory days

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Symantec lists "Dirtiest Web Sites" | 21 August 2009
Museum battles to preserve moon suits for posterity | 16 July 2009
China delays part of massive water project | 12 January 2009

Sony's quarterly net profit tumbles 95 percent | 29 January 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Japan whaling town dreams of glory days

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Japan whaling town dreams of glory days AFP - Sunday, June 20 Send IM Story Print Japan whaling town dreams of glory days AYUKAWAHAMA, Japan (AFP) - – In a sushi shop in a traditional Japanese whaling town, Katsuji Furuuchi carves thin slices from a lump of minke meat and adds pieces of blubber to the tiny servings. "Whale meat is a real delicacy, so this is the only way we can offer whale sushi to our customers," he said, placing the costly slivers onto rice balls in his shop where figurines of the sea mammals decorate the walls. Ayukawahama was once a major whaling port, where fishermen would drag the ocean giants into harbour, colouring the water red and, elder residents recall, sending the stench of whale carcasses wafting through town. Temples dedicated to the souls of whales attest to the town's centuries-old heritage, and a trickle of tourists still file through a whaling museum that boasts skeletons, hunting tools, educational displays and a 3-D cinema. But the industry has long been in decline, especially since commercial whaling was banned in 1986, although Japanese harpoon ships still harvest the animals as far as Antarctic waters in the name of "scientific research". Today the town, on Honshu island northeast of Tokyo, has an abandoned feel. The population has fallen by three quarters since the 1960s to about 4,000, and only about 40 people are still actively involved in the whale trade. Furuuchi, in his 60s, says the supply of whale meat has dropped even more this year since environmental activists managed to drastically reduce the cull through a campaign of harassment in the past Antarctic hunting season. "Whale meat consumption is low because there is no supply, not because there is no demand," the sushi seller said. "If the meat was available and cheaper, I would actively serve it. People who want to eat whale will come." Japan's whaling has drawn sharp international criticism from nations including Australia, a dispute that is certain to flare again this week at the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Morocco. Furuuchi, like many Japanese, says whale is like any other food and foreigners misunderstand what has long been a Japanese culinary tradition. "Japan has been eating whale since the (1868) Meiji Restoration so it's hard to imagine we'll never eat it again," he said, recollecting how whales caught off Japan's Pacific coast were once the town's lifeline. Locals take pride in a tradition of not wasting any part of the whale. Its teeth have been used for art and accessories, its organs ground into fish feed and fertiliser, and the "beard" in their mouth, which whales use to filter plankton and krill from water, has been fashioned into tennis racket strings. Different species have been eaten raw as sashimi or sushi, pan-fried in butter, boiled in soy sauce, eaten as shabu-shabu or in miso soup and, more recently, ground up for spaghetti sauce or put on sticks as hot dogs. For many elderly Japanese, who ate whale bacon in the lean post-World War II years, it is a nostalgic meal. For younger generations raised on a more Western diet, it has become an occasional, expensive culinary curiosity. Japan claims its Antarctic and Northwest Pacific hunts are for research purposes, to study whale populations in order to manage marine resources, but it has made no secret of the fact that the meat is sold and eaten. Throughout every year in Ayukawahama, a total of about 60 minke whales are unloaded onto the docks, cut up and distributed to traders, according to Kunio Suno, the president of local fish wholesaler Ishinomaki Uoichiba. Contractor Kyodo Senpaku, which operates Japan's whaling vessels, takes orders from customers and sets the market price depending on the size and quality of the catch, with some whale cuts more expensive than others. For frozen Minke whale caught in Antarctic waters, a kilogram of red meat has an average wholesale price of up to 3,000 yen (33 dollars), according to Suno, who also sits on a government panel for marine products. Minke whales caught in Japan's coastal waters -- including animals that become entangled in fishing nets -- are also sold and can fetch as much as 7,000 yen per kilogram (35 dollars per pound) at auctions. One trader said that the most coveted part of the whale's tail, a fatty meat, recently sold for 100,000 yen a kilo in a whaling port in northern Hokkaido to a major trading house which sold it on to a luxury client. "The best parts are sold in the fancy restaurants in the cities. We only get the less tasty parts," said Toshihiro Saito, 59, a shopkeeper working in what used to be called "Whale Road," today a largely shuttered street. Like others in the industry, Suno is fiercely defensive of whaling. "Japan should make an effort to argue on a scientific basis that whaling is sustainable," he said. "It is arrogant for countries to impose their ideas of what to eat on other cultures." Many locals, including Furuuchi, say they would favour a proposal before the IWC this week which would legitimise Japanese commercial whaling in its coastal waters in return for a phased reduction of its Antarctic hunt. "Coastal minkes have very tender meat," he said. "If we could hunt some 100 or 200 of them, I think demand and supply would be well balanced. "Whaling in the Antarctic won't help revive the local economy. The frozen meat is black and hard. It just doesn't work for sushi. It's not very good." Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Parents shot in front of daughter in Thai attacks AFP - 1 hour 25 minutes ago Death toll from floods in China reaches 132 AFP - 1 hour 28 minutes ago S.Korea to boost role in anti-arms trafficking club AFP - 2 hours 1 minute ago Malaysia's rescued baby pygmy elephant dies AFP - 2 hours 9 minutes ago Bangladesh closes university after World Cup riots AFP - 2 hours 32 minutes ago News Search Top Stories Britain facing biggest budget cuts in decades Whales closer to us than thought, say scientists Murray confident Wimbledon within his grasp Red carnations for Nobel laureate as Portugal mourns Danes send Cameroon packing, Dutch into W.Cup last 16 More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Aussie man jailed for blowing bubble in court Sweden's future queen to wed former personal trainer Battered BP boss relinquishes duties on US oil spill Whales closer to us than thought, say scientists EU chief Barroso says euro is strong More Most Viewed » Physicists solve mystery of missing neutrinos More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos World Cup 2010 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Sunday, 20 June 2010
Afghanistan hit by 'alarming' rise in bombings: UN
UN alarmed over escalating violence in Afghanistan
Exiled Rwanda general wounded in South Africa shooting |
Sarkozy hails Russia as gas, skyscraper deals inked
Four Armenians and one Azeri killed in Karabakh clash |
UN says security in Afghanistan has not improved
Russia fears for health of the euro: Medvedev
Tropical storm Celia forms in Pacific off Mexico |
UN chief: Security in Afghanistan has not improved
Hopes fade for survivors after Colombia mine blast |
25 Saudi Guantanamo prisoners return to militancy |
Press group urges Kuwaiti ruler to free blogger |
Ghana go top with draw against 10-man Aussies
US envoy Mitchell ends tour with visit to Egypt's Mubarak
APEC agrees to promote nuclear power: reports
Colombians turn to Facebook in final vote push |
China to allow more exchange rate flexibility
Strike ends at Toyota's China-based parts supplier
NeuroSky lets gamers use their brains
Iran's top Sunni rebel hanged
Britain facing biggest budget cuts in decades
Santos seen winning Colombian presidency |
US takes gentle approach in Kandahar
Whales closer to us than thought, say scientists
Iran executes leader of Sunni rebel group |
3 children killed, 23 people hurt in Afghanistan
Murray confident Wimbledon within his grasp
Red carnations for Nobel laureate as Portugal mourns
Obama Welcomes Chinese Exchange Rate Reforms
Danes send Cameroon packing, Dutch into W.Cup last 16
Poles vote for new president after plane crash |
Tropical Storm Celia may become hurricane off Mexico |
Minimum and maximum temperatures in Celsius
Parents shot in front of daughter in Thai attacks
Death toll from floods in China reaches 132
S.Korea to boost role in anti-arms trafficking club
Malaysia's rescued baby pygmy elephant dies
Bangladesh closes university after World Cup riots
Buzz builds around electric cars as Nissan plans debut
China's Xi hopes to strengthen Australia ties
Bangladesh jute gets boost from plastic bag backlash
Japanese fans deflated after World Cup defeat
'Brand China' takes aim at global electronics giants
Courageous Socceroos no longer an embarrassment
Chinese criticize move to loosen exchange rate
Australian burglar nabbed by sweet tooth
China makes long-awaited currency move
Japan whaling town dreams of glory days
Gambling mogul predicts 30 pct growth in Macau casinos
Asian filmmakers offered $100,000 grants
'Peasant Da Vincis' on show in Shanghai exhibition
Thirsty World Cup fans boosting beer sales: brewers
Big name companies 'ambush' World Cup
Milan fashion for men: '50s retro with a nod to green
Half a million celebrate Gay Pride in Berlin
Conservative Croatia holds its ninth Gay Pride parade
Asian filmmakers offered $100,000 grants
Baghdad suicide bombers kill 26
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01