David @ Tokyo

A few months ago when I peeked in a near-by supermarket I found the shelves were almost bare of canned whale products. What was the situation I wondered?

Were the products so popular they were selling out quickly? (Well whale is tasty, but it's no "miracle" product - just a type of meat - albeit much better than that nasty cow meat from Australia)

Or were the products unpopular so they weren't being restocked? (But then empty shelves in Tokyo supermarkets are not good at all for profitability)

Neither idea really seemed to make good enough sense.

So I was in the same supermarket yesterday, and found that not only were the shelves now packed full of whale products, there were also a couple of products I hadn't seen before, so I picked up a can each.

First up is "KUJIRA YAKINUKU":

The description on the can notes that this item is produced from whale by-products from Minke, Bryde's and Sei whales of the western north pacific and antarctic, sampled under Japan's special permit programs. The labelling on my can here in particular indicates that the whale inside came from an Antarctic minke whale.

Second up, is SANRIKU KUJIRA CURRY:

This can doesn't have such precise information about the origins of the whale, but the homepage of the company in Ishinomaki that produced it notes that they handle mainly research whaling by-products. Can't wait to try this one sometime, I love Japanese style curry and with whale it should be pretty good too (usually I use pork).

Anyway, now I have another idea about why the supermarket shelves for whale products were almost bare a couple of months ago, but packed yesterday. When in the supermarket looking at the shelves, one forgets that whale overall is limited in supply by how the volume of by-products eventuating from the research programs, and particularly with the Antarctic research being hampered again last winter, one expects that the whale meat supply this year is again down. But with it being August now, what by-products were available from last season's Antarctic research will now be available to the markets at least in part, and quite possibly the companies producing these canned products had put production on hold until such a time as they had more base products to work with, hence the lack of supply a few months ago versus now.

Labels: Ishinomaki, whale gourmet, whale meat market

As with the western media, the IWC Future draft rose some eyebrows in Japan as well.

Yomiuri newspapers published editorials (offline now) welcoming the plan to an extent, at least so far as urging Japan to continue to with the negotiations for a compromise.

On the other hand, one Fisheries newspaper put together a detailed article cautioning strongly against it, ultimately urging Japan to get back to the basics of resource management based on compliance and science, and restore whale resource management functions.

Fortunately there was also media coverage of some of those who would be most directly effected by any compromise proposal. Up in north-eastern Honshu, the Sanriku Kahoku news paper ran a story at the beginning of February covering the thoughts of people related to coastal whaling in the region.

Report accepting coastal whaling released (2009.02.04)
IWC Small Working Group
Continued whaling not guaranteed - "Frankly not pleased" Katsushika, Ishinomaki

The article reports that the chair of the IWC's SWG, De Soto, released his report which suggests allowing coastal whaling that Japan has been requesting in exchange for Japan scaling back its special permit whaling in the Antarctic. It noted that this is a compromise plan to address the conflict between whaling and anti-whaling nations, however at the whaling town in Ishinomaki city's Katsushika area:

... the report's contents have been taken in with complicated feelings. "We're not able to throw both arms up in the air in delight about this".

The article mentions that the report notes that for 5 years, 4 Japanese whaling towns including the one in Katsushika would be permitted to take an as yet unspecified number of minke whales, under conditions such as the whaling involving day trips with less than 5 vessels engaged.

As for beyond the next 5 years, the report described two options of banning whaling or continuing it.

On the other hand, as for Antarctic special permit whaling, two plans were described including the gradual cessation of minke whale catches and the total ban of fin whale catches.

Keiichi Endo, the 51 year old president of Ishinomaki's "Ayukawa Hogei (Whaling)" company which was established last year in February, said "At the current time I can't say that I agree with the report. Will Japan be able to accept the total banning of research whaling in the Antarctic? The report doesn't guarantee research will be continued from the 6th year onwards", he points out.

Mayor of Ishinomaki city, Kimio Doi, expressed a cautious position, saying "I can't comment at this stage. I'll be following developments in the debate at the IWC".

Mayor Doi had attended the June 2007 meeting of the IWC in Anchorage. The next month in July Ishinomaki city held the first national whale forum, where the "Ishinomaki declaration" was adopted, requesting Japan to unilaterally allow a resumption of small-type coastal whaling.

To that extent, the region welcomes the resumption of coastal whaling, however there is dissatisfaction as well. "Since the 1988 commercial whaling moratorium, there has been no progress at the IWC towards resuming whaling."

In another article at the similarly named Kahoku news site (seems to be offline now, but the title was "「期待せず」「議論見守る」沿岸捕鯨再開ＩＷＣ報告書"), both were quoted again.

Keiichi Endo, president of "Ayukawa Hogei" based in Ayukawa port that owns two of the small-type coastal whaling vessels rejected the report, saying "I can't expect anything from it". He expressed concern that on top of either scaling back research whaling or stopping it in 5 years, from the 6th year onwards there was still the possibility of small-type coastal whaling being banned as well.

"I do agree with reducing the number of whales caught in research whaling and increasing the quota for small-type coastal whaling, but that's not to say I'm for reducing research whaling to zero. Continuing both is best", he asserts.

Mayor Doi is quoted here again saying similar things.


It doesn't bode well for the IWC discussions if even those in Japan such as Mr. Endo, who would possibly gain most from a compromise package, are not happy with it.

If free time eventuates I'd like to introduce the Fisheries newspaper article mentioned above, in a future post, but perhaps what develops in March will preclude my motivation to do this - let's see.


So what are the pictures included in this blog? On the weekend after this report was released by the IWC, I was on the snowy slopes of Mt. Zao bordering between Miyagi and Yamagata prefectures, and coincidentally a friend of mine was also in Sendai, Miyagi's capital at the same time. Originally from Hokkaido where they often eat whale at New Year's, she's one of a "whale eating" circle we started up a few years back.

Anyway, she spotted whale on the menu at a Sendai izakaya restaurant (Kochira Marutoku Gyogyobu) and sent me the pics and shop location.

They have a chain of restaurants centred in Miyagi, but they also have restaurants in Yamagata, Akita and Morioka (main cities of surrounding prefectures) as well.

On the web (Japanese)

Labels: Ishinomaki, IWC Normalization, Japanese media perspective, whale gourmet

Back in January this year I had some stories from Ishinomaki about whale meat (see my Ishinomaki label).

Sanriku-Kahoku.com again had a report on the 9th of December about local whale meat sales. Check the original article for a picture, below is a bit of a summary / translation:

The first day at the "Refined Hometown" roadside station Ichinomaki citizens form long lines

Ishinomaki's "winter whale meat distribution event" started on the 8th. The first day was held at the "Refined Hometown" roadside station, and many residents formed lines in advance of the 10AM start to sales.

Frozen minke whale meat, a by-product of research whaling, was distributed at the bargain price of 2,300 yen per 900 grams. 500 units were prepared for the first day, but had completely sold out in around 30 minutes. Again at the same station on the 9th, a further 600 units, 100 more than scheduled, will be distributed.

According to municipal authorities, interest in whale cuisine has heightened amongst city residents following the first ever "Whale Forum 2007" event that was held in Ishinomaki city in July, and the response to the distribution event was excellent.

Again on the 23rd from 6:30 AM at an early-morning market at the station square 100 more units will be available, and on the same day from 9:00 AM until noon 1,200 units will be prepared at the Ishinomaki city ultra-low temperature cold storage facility. Back at the roadside station, another 500 units are scheduled to be distributed on the 29th from 9:00 AM at the "Misoka market".

The city's marine resource section says "This year we secured an extra 1.1 tonnes, or 20% more whale meat for distribution than last year. We hope that many city residents will try it, and will continue to work to spread whale cuisine food culture"

Here we are only talking about a relatively insignificant amount of whale meat (several tonnes). The Ishinomaki area currently has the largest amount of whale meat in Japan, and saw more than 200 tonnes leaving storage there in October.

Another article dated December 16 has coverage of Ishinomaki's 2007 marugoto festa, again with lines of customers queuing for whale meat attracting the media's attention.

Labels: Ishinomaki, whale meat market

Here's another news item in relation to whale meat in Ishinomaki (I have details of a previous item from earlier in January here):

First whale meat lunches in 25 years 2007.01.24
Ishinomaki region day care centres
City hopes to see culture passed on

On the 23rd, Ishinomaki city provided whale meat lunches in 30 child care centres throughout the Ishinomaki region. According to officials, similar lunches are provided in Oshika once a month, but this was the first time in 25 years for whale meat lunches to be provided in Ishinomaki.

The meat used was from minke whales caught in Antarctic ocean research whaling. The menu was "whale meat shigure-ae" - seasoned diced whale meat, coated with potato starch then fried, dressed with shoyu flavoured sauce, and sprinkled with white sesame seeds. To ensure the meat is tender and odorless, seasoning with miso and ginger was used.

At Minato child care centre, 50 children from ages 1 to 5 ate the whale meat lunch for the first time. Ishinomaki Mayor, Kimio Doi dined together with 26 children of ages 4 to 5. "Whale meat is good for your body, so make it a favourite", he urged them, and children with smiling faces responded saying "it's soft and tasty", as they maneuvered their chopsticks. Some children were back for seconds.

The aim of the provision of whale meat in child care centre is to see the whale food culture of Ishinomaki, once a whaling post, carried on by the regions' children. The city plans to provide 3 further whale meat lunches in child care centres during the next fiscal year.

This sort of thing enrages western environmental groups, but the question for them is simply, "Why should communities choose to give up what they see as their local traditions?" The western environmental groups are obviously yet to come up with any convincing reasons. They can't even convince me, let alone the people to whom it really matters.

The Ishinomaki region is home to the old whaling post of Ayukawa, one of four small coastal whaling communities around Japan that requested a relief quota of 150 North Pacific minke whales for a three year period at the IWC 2006 meeting, without success.

According to official stockpile statistics, Ishinomaki had the largest frozen whale meat stockpile as of the end of January 2006, but by the end of November 2006, stocks had fallen to around 500 tonnes, in fourth place, behind Tokyo, Hakodate and Kushiro.

Mayor Doi of Ishinomaki, who features in the article, appears to be a strong supporter of whaling if a google search (sorry, in Japanese) is anything to go by.

UPDATE: Mayor Doi features in this article in the aftermath of the IWC 2006 meeting, which has some interesting comments from a whaler from Ayukawa (I'll translate it sometime later maybe).

UPDATE 2007/01/24: There is more coverage (in Japanese at Kahoku Shinpo) of the story about whale meat for kids in Ishinomaki (more translation from me below):

"Whale meat is tasty isn't it" / Provision at child care centers in Ishinomaki

Miyagi prefecture's Ishinomaki city is to revive the use of whale meat in school lunches from fiscal 2007 in 13 of the the city's public child care centers, as a part of efforts to see whale food culture continued and propagated. It is the first time in 25 years for whale meat to be used in school lunches at municipal child care centers, and plans will see it provided 3 times a year. Prior to the full launch, whale meat appeared in the lunches on the 23rd, and found popularity amongst the kindergarteners.

At Ishinomaki City's municipal Minato child care center, the kindergarteners munched through the fried "whale meat shigure-ae", flavoured with miso, soy sauce, ginger and garlic, leading to a chorus of "tasty". Many of the children ate whale meat for the first time, but some went back for seconds, and others noted with pleasure that they'd like to eat it again.

The city children's household section says "we plan to try various recipes, and also expand use of whale meat into municipal child care centers in other areas".

In the city's primary school lunches, whale meat menus are provided once a month, including in the child care center of the once prosperous whaling region of Oshika. Since fiscal 2006, provisions have been increased from 2 times a year to 4 times a year, and provision has expanded into all areas of the city.
- 2007/01/23 (Tuesday)

Well, those kids sure look to be enjoying themselves :)

Labels: Ishinomaki, whale meat market

A year-end festival held last month in Ishinomaki, Miyagi, was covered in a report at www.sanriku-kahoku.com. My best-effort translation follows:

Reinvigorating the city centre - 2006.12.17

"Ishinomaki marugoto Festa" seasonal speciality products - until today

The "Ishinomaki marugoto festival", an event involving sales of the Ishinomaki region's specialty products began on the 16th, with Ishinomaki city centre's Aitopia turned into a "pedestrian paradise". 38 shops participated in the event, selling seasonal fish, seafood and agricultural products at bargain prices. The event continues until the 17th (from 10:00 - 15:00).

The event had been operated by the Ishinomaki agriculture cooperative until last year as the "Ishinomaki products festival", but the name and location of the event have been changed with the aim of reinvigorating the city centre. The first day of the event saw fortunes turn for the better, with the town centre bustling in a manner reminiscent of the 1960's.

Enjoying popularity was whale meat. 240 kilograms were prepared, and selling for 2,300 yen per 900 grams, sold out in just 40 minutes. Also popular were roasted goby for use in Zooni, pollack and oysters for use in nabe, fresh onions, and yams.

<abridged>

As of the end of October, Ishinomaki was one of the top whale meat stockpile locations in Japan, with 571 tonnes in frozen storage (the 240 kilograms on sale here is relatively insignificant).

Earlier in the year, the neighbouring town of Onagawa also saw strong sales at a whale distribution where prices were even lower. On that occasion perhaps as much as 6 tonnes of meat were available for sale.


Also over the New Year's holiday, apparently whale meat was popular at the other end of the country in Nagasaki as well (Japanese articles here and here).

Labels: Ishinomaki, whale meat market