Are the Japanese still eating dolphins?

Answer 1

I also live in Japan and have never seen dolphins on the menu. But so what if they are? Have Americans appointed ourselves the world's food police?

I have read there are two breeds of sea creature referred to as"dolphin"....Flipper being one and something else being the other.
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I followed and read the links provided by other posters. I fail to see what the protests are about. The poorly written article failed to mention why the protests were acuring. Yes, I could surmise it was because of the inhuman way dolphins were killed, but I keep thinking to myself, "why is this any different from us eating cows or chikens or pork?" (as a Japanese fisherman also remarked).

Are people protesting:

1) that some cultures eat dolphins? If so, why? is it okay to eat cows, chickens, kangaroos, rabbits, monkey brains, but not dolphins? why? This question is not answered. In Australia, kangaroo meat is sold at Coles (a grocery chain) and rabbit meat is sold a Ingles (in US Georgia). I honestly do not understand what the issue is regarding dolphin. I haven't eaten any and probably won't, but I do think this question needs to be answered if you wish to drum up support.

2) that the dolphins are killed in an inhuman manner? If so, how would they suggest the animals be slaughtered? How are cows/chickens slaughtered? I am not being sarcastic, I have no idea.

Answer 2

Hi I'm Japanese.and I Can say NO we dont eat dolphins. We go to the aquarium to watch a dolphins, but never eat.I have not eaten the whales too. And some fishermen extremely whale,It is really extremely some fishermen. I am against whaling. I am also against eating a cat and a dog, a kangaroo.

Answer 3

Yes, but very rare. In certain parts of Japan they sell dolphin meat at local supermarkets. Not that I've tried it myself, but dolphin meat, believe it or not, has an odor so strong that you would faint if you didn't follow the recommended recipe. In fact, more Japanese have eaten whales in a year than they have eaten dolphins in the past million years!

Answer 4

Yes, I ate dolphin when I lived in Shizuoaka. I didn't really like it, I much prefer whale. Like Dogmandu says it kinds of stinks, the dolphin I ate was sort of a beef-jerky type stuff that was served as h'our dourves. Definitely an acquired taste, unlike fried whale or seal-flipper pie.

Answer 5

I've been to Japan numerous times and I have family there who own restaurants and take me to the fish market, and not once have I been served dolphin or seen it. But the news says otherwise...so I'm a little confused. I know my Dad when he was younger used to eat whale since it was cheap, but I haven't seen or heard of that either.

Answer 6

Yes, unfortunately but very rarely and I don't ever remember seeing it on sale anywhere I shop. I have seen videos of hunts that turn the sea red from killing whole pods of dolphins by trapping them in a bay. As for sharkfin.....it's like saying Americans, Australians, British, the French eat sharkfin.. We, the Japanese only have it in Chinese restaurants. I personally think the idea of sharkfin very offensive since it is very destructive to the ecosystem.

Answer 7

There is not such custom in Japan (I don't say 0), but whales.
and the whale is eating your marine resources (fish).
By the way, is Alaskan ppl still eating dolphins or whales?
And are you still eating BSE cows? Why McDonald's didn't use American beef?

You can't deny it,

Answer 8

Yes...
and Whales...
and Sharkfins...

Answer 9

Yes, they are. They had not acceded to international requests to pull it off their supermarket shelves.

Answer 10

Yes, here's a recent article about it. (I think it's quite bias, but it's recent, anyway):
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2129954.ece