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markle
Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan
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Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2006 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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Apparently it is not that popular and there are actual stocpiles of the stuff.
I've tried it as sushi once, it was ok, but I wouldn't go out in a leaky boat with a pointy stick to get it. |
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ndorfn

Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 126
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 2:55 am Post subject: |
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I think the low media coverage also reflects the general lack of interest in the issue in Japan.
If the Japanese had more idea how much of their tax money was going to buying votes for what is essentially an issue pushed by a nationalist minority in the government (similar to the Yasukuni Shrine debacle) they might be motivated to oppose it more. |
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Le Creature
Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 40
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Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 1:56 am Post subject: |
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You make a really good point.
Why do people want to eat whale anyway? Why not stick with animals that are farmed? It's all awful at the end of the day. The living conditions are just barbaric for all of them. Usually people couldn't give a flying f*ck (just as long as they get their stomachs filled), but the ones who do are usually very strong and caring people who are able to sympathise with creatures who ultimately have no voice.
If you're going to resort to any name calling in response to this then whatever, you're probably the type that regards vegetarians/vegans as 'hippies'. |
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ripslyme

Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 481 Location: Japan
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Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 3:44 am Post subject: |
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Le Creature wrote: |
You make a really good point.
Why do people want to eat whale anyway? Why not stick with animals that are farmed? It's all awful at the end of the day. The living conditions are just barbaric for all of them. Usually people couldn't give a flying f*ck (just as long as they get their stomachs filled), but the ones who do are usually very strong and caring people who are able to sympathise with creatures who ultimately have no voice.
If you're going to resort to any name calling in response to this then whatever, you're probably the type that regards vegetarians/vegans as 'hippies'. |
I like eating meat. I like trying new things. If the powers-that-be determine that we can eat X number of these animals without endangering the species, then I'm gonna grab me a plate and try it out. |
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JimDunlop2

Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan
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Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:50 am Post subject: |
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Well, when I went to Korea two weeks ago, I actually had a chance to try dog! No joke! Probably the most bizzare dish I've had to-date... I don't know if I'll be willing to try cat or rat when I get around to visiting China -- but who knows, I might.
When in Rome...
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ndorfn

Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 126
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 4:42 am Post subject: |
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ripslyme wrote: |
Le Creature wrote: |
You make a really good point.
Why do people want to eat whale anyway? Why not stick with animals that are farmed? It's all awful at the end of the day. The living conditions are just barbaric for all of them. Usually people couldn't give a flying f*ck (just as long as they get their stomachs filled), but the ones who do are usually very strong and caring people who are able to sympathise with creatures who ultimately have no voice.
If you're going to resort to any name calling in response to this then whatever, you're probably the type that regards vegetarians/vegans as 'hippies'. |
I like eating meat. I like trying new things. If the powers-that-be determine that we can eat X number of these animals without endangering the species, then I'm gonna grab me a plate and try it out. |
That's all well and good (except for the unnecessarily slaughtered animal of course) but in the case of whales (and any other area where cash or ulterior motives are involved) the "powers that be" aren't interested in impartially determining whether the species is endangered or not. |
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Like a Rolling Stone

Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Posts: 872
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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ndorfn wrote: |
That's all well and good (except for the unnecessarily slaughtered animal of course) but in the case of whales (and any other area where cash or ulterior motives are involved) the "powers that be" aren't interested in impartially determining whether the species is endangered or not. |
They should be. A whlae huter hunts his quaryy to extinction and hes out of a job  |
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Like a Rolling Stone

Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Posts: 872
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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JimDunlop2 wrote: |
Well, when I went to Korea two weeks ago, I actually had a chance to try dog! No joke! Probably the most bizzare dish I've had to-date... I don't know if I'll be willing to try cat or rat when I get around to visiting China -- but who knows, I might.
When in Rome...
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I went to Borneo and ate human baby. I thought it was a little bad then I thouhgt...When in Rome
Tastes like pork |
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Cshannon
Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Posts: 114
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 11:03 pm Post subject: |
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I don't think whale is particularly healthy. I thought I read somewhere that whale meat has like a thousand (or was it 100? can't recall) times more mercury built up than even tuna. Apparently cuz it's so big and lives so long it can get rather full of toxins (at least in some cases). Not sure how true this is, but I've never tried eating it. I don't imagine eating it regularly is good for you (kind of like Inuit people in Canada with high levels of mercury from eating seal all the time).
Regardless, I'm not too big on the unnecessary killing of whales (or dolphins etc.), it reminds me too much of poaching. I don't really trust the Japanese in regards to marine sustainability and don't think they need to hunt whales. I say just leave fragile mammal populations be, maybe if the global human population drops by like 5/6ths of what it is now and the ecosystem recovers we can start again...
My dilemma is eating fish everyday (speaking of mercury...) -- I love seafood of all kinds, but the fish stocks are in decline (largely from Japanese trawlers destroying the marine ecosystem) and the oceans are getting so dirty. But ideally I think seafood is the best meat - very healthy, delicious and arguably not as cruel as killing mammals for meat. |
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Cshannon
Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Posts: 114
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 11:09 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
I went to Borneo and ate human baby. I thought it was a little bad then I thouhgt...When in Rome
Tastes like pork |
'a modest proposal'?  |
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king kakipi
Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia
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Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 12:01 am Post subject: |
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Guys, you've got it ALL wrong!
The Japanese don't kill whale to EAT it, they kill it for SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.
How it ends up in dodgy sushi bars is beyond me. Maybe those dodgy sushi bars are owned by dodgy scientists....................  |
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luckbox
Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 180
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Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 1:07 am Post subject: |
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king kakipi wrote: |
Didn't realise the Japanese media was so tightly controlled. Maybe it has more in common with its North Korean neighbours than I thought....... |
Yep, it's a bit more complicated than this, but yes, Japanese media is very much a reflection of the culture. The almighty wa is supreme, and anything that threatens that in any serious way is usually swept under the rug. To borrow a bit from another thread, there is virtually no mention of domestic human rights issues in the J-press. Search issues such as Ainu, burakumin, discrimination against ethnic Koreans - nothing. Conversely, issues that paint Japan in a positive light or deal with wrongs done to Japan in history - loads of stuff in the media. Search the Hisoshima/Nagasaki bomb issue, and you'll find volumes of stories, but search issues such as Korean comfort women or the Rape of Nan King - very little, and the little there is is so skewed to almost make it sound as though Japan did nothing wrong.
There is almost no tradition of true investigative journalism in Japan's media. The stuff that poses as hard-digging journalism usually poses no threat to wa. Japan is a very non-confrontational culture, and the bad aspects of this are seen in the media's lack of independence and journalistic vigor. Editorials routinely tow the government line. |
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Cshannon
Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Posts: 114
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Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 3:03 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
Yep, it's a bit more complicated than this, but yes, Japanese media is very much a reflection of the culture. The almighty wa is supreme, and anything that threatens that in any serious way is usually swept under the rug. To borrow a bit from another thread, there is virtually no mention of domestic human rights issues in the J-press. Search issues such as Ainu, burakumin, discrimination against ethnic Koreans - nothing. Conversely, issues that paint Japan in a positive light or deal with wrongs done to Japan in history - loads of stuff in the media. Search the Hisoshima/Nagasaki bomb issue, and you'll find volumes of stories, but search issues such as Korean comfort women or the Rape of Nan King - very little, and the little there is is so skewed to almost make it sound as though Japan did nothing wrong.
There is almost no tradition of true investigative journalism in Japan's media. The stuff that poses as hard-digging journalism usually poses no threat to wa. Japan is a very non-confrontational culture, and the bad aspects of this are seen in the media's lack of independence and journalistic vigor. Editorials routinely tow the government line. |
Try talking about whales maybe? Either you meant to post this crap on that other stupid thread, or you just enjoy reading your own refuse.
And you still sound like a charlatan. (btw if anyone's cynical it's cuz of fools like you spewing out total BS all the time). Buzz off. |
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luckbox
Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 180
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Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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Cshannon wrote: |
Quote: |
Yep, it's a bit more complicated than this, but yes, Japanese media is very much a reflection of the culture. The almighty wa is supreme, and anything that threatens that in any serious way is usually swept under the rug. To borrow a bit from another thread, there is virtually no mention of domestic human rights issues in the J-press. Search issues such as Ainu, burakumin, discrimination against ethnic Koreans - nothing. Conversely, issues that paint Japan in a positive light or deal with wrongs done to Japan in history - loads of stuff in the media. Search the Hisoshima/Nagasaki bomb issue, and you'll find volumes of stories, but search issues such as Korean comfort women or the Rape of Nan King - very little, and the little there is is so skewed to almost make it sound as though Japan did nothing wrong.
There is almost no tradition of true investigative journalism in Japan's media. The stuff that poses as hard-digging journalism usually poses no threat to wa. Japan is a very non-confrontational culture, and the bad aspects of this are seen in the media's lack of independence and journalistic vigor. Editorials routinely tow the government line. |
Try talking about whales maybe? Either you meant to post this crap on that other stupid thread, or you just enjoy reading your own refuse.
And you still sound like a charlatan. (btw if anyone's cynical it's cuz of fools like you spewing out total BS all the time). Buzz off. |
Dude, I know you are still stinging hard from my schooling you in another thread, but there's no need to carry your grudge and stalk me from thread to thread. Try exercising a bit of maturity and restraint, difficult as it may be for you.
My post (which you cite above, yet conveniently delete its reference point) is a direct response to another point raised in this thread about media control. So my reply is perfectly fitting for this thread, whales or no whales. If you really want an exclusive thread on Whale Talk, go start one, and be sure to state that participants MUST always mention the word "whale" in their post.
Have a wonderful day.
PS: Stick and stones will break my bones, but.... |
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king kakipi
Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia
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Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 11:52 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks luckbox  |
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