ULSAN, South Korea (21 June 2005) -- It's as predictable as the annual migration of whales that has captivated so many people - young and old - in Japan and throughout the world. Japan and its pro-whaling puppets including Palau were harpooned again at the annual International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting as countries voted overwhelmingly to uphold the ban on whaling. The decision was applauded by the vast majority of modern, educated Japanese who do not eat whale meat and reject crude government propaganda that whaling is synonymous with being Japanese. But a small and politically powerful coalition of ultranationalist politicians, 'yakuza' crime bosses, fishing industry leaders and government-controlled media including NHK promote the full-scale slaughter of whales in terms reminiscent of Japan's World War II rhetoric. "Whaling is a national symbol against the cultural imperialism of western nations," screamed Shigeko Misaki. "If we succumb to the moral standards of the western world, we would lose control of our people internally." Most Japanese disagree. Keiko Okada, a 34-year-old computer programmer in Tokyo told CDNN that whaling is barbaric and should be banned forever. "We Japanese are sick and tired of corrupt right-wing LDP politicans ruining the image of our fine country with their schemes to make money killing whales," Okada said. "Like most Japanese, I certainly do not feel less Japanese because I have not interest in killing nor eating whales. Like most people around the world, we are quite happy to watch such beautiful creatures, not eat them." | | Most modern, educated Japanese do not eat whale and reject government propaganda that whaling is synonymous with being Japanese. But a small and politically powerful coalition of ultranationalist politicians, 'yakuza' crime bosses, fishing industry leaders and government controlled media including NHK promote the full-scale slaughter of whales in terms reminiscent of Japan's World War II rhetoric. Ken Watanable, a 45-year-old Yokohama-based conservationist and anti-whaling activist agrees. "Despite all the media spin on whaling as some kind of Japanese cultural thing, it's absolutely not part of modern Japanese culture--we don't wake up every morning hungering for whale meat," Watanabe said. "But there remains a strident pro-whaling element among the Japanese right-wing political elite, the same unsavory political faction that fanned the flames of violence and death during World War II," Watanabe added. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
