THE FACT SHEET Basic facts you should know before discussing the whaling issue

How much whale meat does the Japanese eat?

The web page of the Japan Whaling Association provides Japanese and English versions. The designs of the web page of the Japanese and English versions are completely different. For example, a wooden house having an ancient look is shown for the English version with the following message:

"On this site you will be able to learn about the importance of whaling to the Japanese culture, the history of whaling in Japan, facts about whales and whaling and details about our organization." "Q&A" pages exist in both Japanese and English versions. The texts described in both versions look identical, however there are important differences, as shown below.

ENGLISH VERSION

Question:

The whaling debate has shifted from scientific discussion to arguments on animal rights as perceived by certain countries and groups. Since most Western nations are opposed to whaling, why doesn't Japan just abandon its tradition?

Answer:

We cannot agree with this view. Asking Japan to abandon this part of its culture would compare to Australians being asked to stop eating meat pies, Americans being asked to stop eating hamburgers and the English being asked to go without fish and chips.
Attitudes toward animals are a part of national cultures. No nation should try to impose their attitudes on others.

This same passage is given as follows in the Japanese version:

JAPANESE VERSION

"Q1: The whaling debate has shifted from scientific aspects such as resources to the difference in the attitudes of nations toward whales. "Don't you think Japan will benefit from abandoning whaling from the stand point of a spirit of international cooperation, if most Western nations are opposed to whaling?" "A: We do not agree with this view. The differences in the attitudes toward animals are due to the differences in the cultures of nations, and no nation should interfere nor criticize others." What the Fisheries Agency is fighting for distant water whaling, using factory ships. So their argument that no nation should interfere with another is not valid since these whales belong to everybody.

The Questions are translated almost word for word , however, the italicized parts are omitted in the Answer of the Japanese version. Since the Japanese readers seldom take the trouble to read the English version, most of the Japanese could not realize that the Japan Whaling Association introduces the "actual conditions" of Japan to the world as "Japanese people enjoy whale meat as Americans do hamburgers".

A Japanese person reading this passage would feel that the association is being misleading about Japan.

The answers provided by the Japan Whaling Association do not reflect the actual situation of Japan when you see the graph on next page (arranged by the Bureau of Statistics).

Next chapter