Thursday, May 21, 2015

Whales, Whaleman, and Whalemeat

The town of Wada, a fishing and whaling town on the Boso Peninsula where
shore-whaling continues. 
Monterey Bay Shore Whaling and Japan
One of the traditions we share with our counterparts on the Minamiboso Peninsula is shore-whaling.  We began shore-whaling in Monterey in 1853 and eventually ceased at Moss Landing in 1924.  The purpose at the outset was primarily whale oil, but in the early 20th century the industry shifted to using most of the whale, from oil to chicken feed to bonemeal. 

Whaling in Japan - The tradition of whaling on this coast of Japan is much more central to their culture as it was and still is a source of protein for human consumption. The difference between our commercial whaling and their is simple and yet profound.  Whaling evolved over centuries as part of Japanese culture, where in Central California the history was short-lived and the whaling industry never really became a part of the culture of the region, except for the Azoreans who practiced it. These days, whale-watching has become a much more important part of the local economies than whaling was in the 19th century when it was tied to the price of whale oil.
 
So, whatever you've been told about Japanese whaling for pet food or some such, here on the coast of Minamiboso, it is incorrect.  Whale meat and whale products and whaling itself are a major part of local cuisine and culture. 

Shoji on the ramp of the Gaibo Hogei Whaling Company explaining
modern shore-whaling to our group.

Shoji the whaler - I first met yoshinori Shoji in 1995 and over the years have listened to him explain his family's business and the place it has in the village of Wada where he grew up.  Shoji-san went to college overseas and he is, primarily, a businessman.  He was never a harpooner or a deck hand on the boat, but worked in the whale processing plant when a young man.  Now in his early 50s, with 20 year's experience attending International Whaling Commission meetings and following the politics of the business, he is still committed to continue whaling as long as it is legal along the Japan coast.
Shoji-san explaining the processing of whale meat.


Baired's Beaked Whales - Shoji's company hunts and processes the largest of what are called the bottle-nosed whales, the Baired's Beaked whale whose hunting and population are outside the control of the IWC and its treaties.  Shoji's company has a permit to hunt 26 whales a year, and the animals are processed at his station in the town of Wada.  We are visiting in the off-season, as the hunting, which is done from modern 50 foot boats equipped with harpoon canons, is carried on in the summer months.  Baird's Beaked whales can be up to 40 feet long and weigh as much as 15 ton. 

The Factory - Shoji-san greeted us at the location of the long wooden ramp up which the carcass is pulled by a winch.  It is here that the whale is dismembered, the blubber and meat separated from the bone, with the blubber and meat transported up the coast to a building with a huge walk-in freezer where it is stored and then thawed and processed throughout the year.  Some of the meat is sold and offered for sale fresh, while some is sliced and then sun-dried.
Susie Elder sampling dried whale meat.


At one point in our visit, Shoji laid out a line of blue bowls on a table and we were invited to taste dried whale meat.  They were not under any pressure to do so, of course, and I was not paying any attention to who did or didn't as it wasn't important.

What WAS important was that the group had listened intently and respectfully to what Shoji had to say.  Shoji is always prepared to do verbal battle with visitors bearing strong opinions about whaling, but he was pleasantly pleased that that was not necessary today.  He smiled and said, "Maybe they understand my point of view."  Yes, I said, "I hope so. They don't have to agree, but I hope they can seen another point of view."

The Future - Shoji is painfully aware that the price for his whale products and the demand are both in decline.  And he's already thinking about how difficult it might be to pass the business on when he decides to retire.   He has one daughter, and she doesn't seem to be in line to follow in her father's footsteps.  As the diets of young Japanese continue to shift away from the more traditional tastes, one can imagine that Japanese shore whaling might eventually quietly cease to be.  Shoji-san has admitted as much.  But for now he will continue to hunt the animals that have always provided a source of protein for this protein-deprived country.

And perhaps the members of this group of visitors from California will now begin to appreciate the wide diversity that exists between human industries, and that whalers come in a variety of sizes and shapes, as do lumbermen, farmers and fishermen.

A large replica of a blue whale skeleton
in front of the local community center.
Even the playground equipment at the
community center reflects the local
theme of whales and whalers.