The Nisshin Maru has left the harbor in Japan. They have vowed to kill over 1,300 whales in international waters.

Whales are endangered and hunting them has been illegal since 1986. However, under the auspices of The Institute of Cetacean Research, Japan uses a scientific loophole in the ban to continue hunting and killing endangered whales and selling the meat for profit.

The practices of killing whales has not changed in over a century. The whales are killed at sea by harpoon. The harpoon rarely kills instantly, causing massive shock and injury. It can take up to an hour after the initial strike for the whale to die. In their hunts, the whalers target calves. They know if they catch the babies, the mother and the rest of the family won't leave their side.

The 8,000-tonne Nisshan Maru set off after a champagne toast. Their bragging about bringing back dead Humpbacks was a taunt to the world. Whale meat is not a necessity. Japan's whale-eating culture is on the decline and a 'mountain' of blubber from previous catches sits unused in storage. Japan kills this endangered species because they can. It's a 'tradition' they say. Where would the world be if that excuse allowed any practice to continue? Where would the world be if everything that was OK 100 years ago, is OK today?



Please boycott Japanese products. Hit Japan wear it hurts. Let them know that you think whale hunting is wrong and it should be stopped.

Purchase a Microsoft XBox 360 instead of a Nintendo Wii or Sony PS3. If you're in the market for a large screen TV, buy Phillips, or Samsung which is a quality South Korean brand. If you're ready to purchase that new car, avoid buying Japanese (like a Honda) until the whaling ends.

Also, don't give Japan your tourist money until the killing stops.

SOME JAPANESE BRANDS: Alpine, Asahi Brewery, Bridgestone, Brother, Canon, Casio, Citizen, CSK Holdings, Daikin, Epson, Fuji, GReady, Hitachi, Honda, Isuzu, Kao, Kawai, Kenwood, Kikkoman, Konami, Kuboda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nikon, Nissan, Nintendo (Wii), Olympus, Onkyo, Panasonic, Pentax, Pentel, Pioneer, Ricoh, Sanyo, Sega, Sharp, Sony (Blu-ray, Playstation, Bravia) Suzuki, Tamron, Toshiba (HD-DVD), Toyota, Yamaha.
(You can copy, paste, and print as a reminder list when shopping) (read less)

The Nisshin Maru has left the harbor in Japan. They have vowed to kill over 1,300 whales in international waters.

Whales are endangered and hunting them has been illegal since 1986. However, under the auspices of The Institute of Cetacean Research, Japan uses a scientific loophole in the ban to continue hunting and killing endangered whales and selling the meat for profit.

The practices of killing whales has not changed in over a century. The whales are killed at sea by harpoon. The harpoon... (read more)