Japan’s Whale Food Culture: A Culinary Heritage at a Crossroads

Abstract

<p align="justify">Whale meat, once a major protein source in Japan, now holds mainly cultural significance, especially in traditional whaling regions. Despite declining domestic demand—from 233,000 tonnes in 1962 to under 3,000 tonnes today—the Japanese government continues to support commercial whaling, even adding fin whales to the catch list and subsidizing the industry. Efforts to boost consumption include serving whale meat in schools, exhibitions, and vending machines, and promoting it to tourists as cultural heritage. However, Japan faces strong international criticism for violating IWC regulations, and struggles to increase domestic demand, making global promotion even more challenging. <p align="justify">鲸肉曾是日本主要的蛋白质来源，而如今主要保留了文化象征意义，尤其是在传统的捕鲸地区。尽管日本国内对鲸肉的需求已大幅下滑——从1962年的23.3万吨降至如今的不足3000吨——但日本政府仍在继续支持商业捕鲸，甚至将长须鲸列入了捕捞名单并对捕鲸业提供财政补贴。为了拉动消费，日本政府采取了多项举措，包括在学校午餐中供应鲸肉、举办展览、设置自动售货机，以及向游客将其作为文化遗产进行推广。然而，日本因涉嫌违反国际捕鲸委员会（IWC）的规定而面临强烈的国际舆论谴责，同时其国内需求也难以提振，这使得面向全球的推广工作面临更大挑战。