Reviving a Taste for Whale

"The worst thing is most Japanese are just not that interested in eating whale anymore," she said.

But Japanese officials say the nation needs whale meat to become more self-sufficient, noting that the country imports most of its food supply. They also say their research has shown that some species, particularly smaller minke whales, have grown so plentiful that culls are necessary to prevent them from over-eating fish such as cod and sardines, potentially decreasing catches of those fish.

"If we don't eat whale meat, it would be damaging to the ecosystem of the ocean," said Masayuki Komatsu, executive director of Japan's Fisheries Research Agency, who noted that his teenage daughter is opposed to commercial whaling. He later added, "The younger generation is always a problem, so education is very important."

At the Taruichi whale restaurant in Tokyo -- where prized whale fin sashimi goes for $5 a slice -- owner Shintaro Sato said the business is still doing well. But he has nevertheless started running promotions to sell more whale meat, offering 20 percent "early bird" discounts from 5 to 7 p.m. as well as a pre-set whale course for $35 a person -- a price at which he says he takes a loss. "But we are not in this business to make a profit," said Sato, who took over the restaurant from his father, a noted pro-whaling activist, after his death two years ago. "Instead, we are here to preserve a valuable part of Japanese tradition."

Pro-whalers in Japan contend that commercial whaling would popularize the meat by making it more affordable.

But they concede that they will first need to change the views of many younger Japanese, who now tend to see the animals as creatures in need of protection.

"Most young Japanese do not recall the years after World War II when we were hungry and the Americans wanted us to eat whale to survive," said Yuriko Shiraishi, 72, head of Women's Forum for Fish. "The whale saved us then, but thousands of years before that, Japanese were eating whale. Now, the Japanese don't want to eat whale because they don't know about it as a delicious and healthy source of protein. That's what needs to change."

The pro-whalers have taken aim largely at Japan's schools. Schools in western Wakayama Prefecture, which has long been a base of the whaling industry, this year began regularly serving whale meat for lunch. Dozens of schools nationwide will host whale seminars this year like the one at Takadate Elementary School in Natori, a suburb of the city of Sendai, about 280 miles north of Tokyo. At that school, children receive a scientific lecture on whales before enjoying a whale-meat snack. But if the parents and students here are any gauge, mass marketing of whale meat may yet be a hard sell.

"I think it's okay to have these small events so we can pass down our past whaling tradition to the children, but I am not in favor of restarting commercial whaling," said Tomoko Yanai, 45, who has two children. "The meat is delicious. I used to eat it when I was in school. But whales are precious animals and now I feel they should be protected."

Special correspondent Sachiko Sakamaki contributed to this report.