Taiji is a small town in the Higashimuro District in Wakayama, Japan. It has an estimated population of less than 4,000 people. Visitors to this picturesque community along the rocky coast of southwest Japan are greeted by a massive pair of whale statues on one of its main roads.
“Whale Town”
The people of Taiji also refer to this place as “Whale Town.” Since the 1660s, the people of Taiji had been engaged in hunting dolphins and whales. Taiji is the smallest local government in the Wakayama Prefecture, as far as land area is concerned. It is also considered the home of Japan’s modern whaling industry.
In 1606, a group hunting system and a new hand-held harpoon were both introduced and used in the hunting of dolphins. Years later, Wada Kakuemon, who later came to be known as Taiji Kakuemon, invented the Amitori ho – a whaling net technique designed to increase the efficiency and safety of net whaling. This method was used for more than 200 years.
Taiji’s whaling industry was dealt a major blow in 1878 when an accident claimed the lives of more than 100 people. This incident led to the collapse of the group hunting system, but after the Russo-Japanese War, Taiji became the base for modern whaling in Japan. It provided manpower for the whaling fleets that scoured the Antarctic Ocean. IN 1988, Taiji suspended it’s commercial whaling because of the International Whaling Commission’s moratorium on whale hunting.
But to this day, the fishermen of Taiji continue to hunt small whales such as melon-headed whales, pilot whales, and dolphins – which are not covered by the IWC moratorium.
The Cove
Taiji shares it entire overland border with the town of Nachikatsuura. It has a picturesque coast along the Pacific Ocean where dolphins and whales can be seen swimming. The town also has an isolated cove tucked away and surrounded by wire fences – and more than any other place in Taiji, it is this cove that has become the focal point of criticisms from whale lovers all over the world.
In 2009 the documentary film focusing on Taiji, "The Cove," was released. It showed the annual killing of dolphins in Taiji’s cove which begins every September 1st. "The Cove" emphasized that the annual dolphin hunting in Japan kills 23,000 dolphins and porpoises – a figure several times greater than the number of whales killed in Antarctica.
In Taiji, the migrating dolphins are herded into the hidden cove where many are netted. Some dolphins are sold to aquariums and marine parks and the rest are killed by fishermen who use spears and knives.
The World focuses on The Cove
The documentary film, "The Cove," was nominated and won many awards from all over the world, including the prestigious Academy Award for the Best Documentary Feature during the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.
As a result of the documentary, people have banded together to save the dolphins. Ric O’Barry, whose efforts to document the annual slaughter of dolphin’s in Taiji were highlighted in the film, “The Cove” has spearheaded the campaign to save the dolphins in Japan. The former dolphin trainer is the tireless campaign director of a growing organization aptly called "Save Japan Dolphins."
Near Japan is the Philippine islands, an archipelago consisting of more than 7,100 islands. Here, a group of equally tireless dolphin advocates has grouped together to form the "Dolphins Love Freedom Network."
Among its members is 35 year-old A.G. Sano, who made it his personal goal to paint 23,000 dolphin images in walls all over the country – his way of calling the world’s attention to the fact that around 23,000 dolphins are killed in Japan every year.
Nearby Singapore hearkened to the call to help save the dolphins. Sano’s dolphin images now grace a long wall in Scape Center in Orchard road.
What the Hunters and Advocates Say
The people of Taiji have declared to the world that they are proud of their heritage – whale hunting included. In an exclusive interview with the Associated Press, Taiji’s mayor, Katsuka Sangen said, "We will pass down the history of our ancestors to the next generation, preserve it. We have a strong sense of pride about this…. "So we are not going to change our plans for the town based on the criticism of foreigners."
"Save Japan Dolphins" campaign director Ric O’barry, on the other hand, asserted, “At Save Japan Dolphin Coalition, we are working on big plans for the film and our continuing campaign to END the slaughter of dolphins in Japan, and throughout the world. We plan to end trafficking in live dolphins, and we plan to do our part to reduce pollution of the world’s oceans with mercury.”
