Japan is one of only three countries, along with Iceland and Norway, to continue whaling, within the sole limits of quotas set by the Japanese authorities.
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In Japan, the resumption of commercial fishing in 2019 facilitates the arrival of whale meat on markets, in fishmongers, taverns and specialized restaurants.
Shinichiro Naruse, 28, is the chef of the restaurant La balena nel Parco. Far from the image of the old popular neighborhood whale restaurant, the establishment where chef Naruse officiates is new and modern, located in the very center of Tokyo. “Preparing the menu was hard, he said, but I hope it encourages greater consumption by young people.”
It serves a new cuisine based on cetacean meat prepared in canapés, croquettes, carpaccio or steaks. The customers seated at the tables are under 30, like Sei, surprised by what he has just tasted. “When I was told that an Italian restaurant based on whale was opening, I was skeptical, but it goes well, it’s good,” he recognizes.
Criticism of whale meat consumption does not affect the young man: “This is to deny Japan’s food culture, said Sei. Let’s respect each other’s cultures. Honestly, I don’t really see the difference between eating whale or chicken, pork or cow meat.”
His friend Yuya believes that the whale population is not endangered by the Japanese consumption of them. “I don’t really feel guilty, he confides. I know that whale consumption is highly criticized in the West, but it is part of Japanese culture. We are also taught that whales eat large quantities of fish that eventually run out, this is a problem.” His friend Sei emphasizes the Japanese relationship with food. “When the Japanese eat, they always say ‘itadakimasu’, to thank the life sacrificed, we don’t forget.”
The Japanese consume about 2,000 tons of whale a year, a hundred times less than at the peak in the mid-1960s. But regulars say the whale meat on sale since commercial fishing resumed is of much better quality. Yet there are still few new whale meat consumers.