Raw, fried or on a bun: the many ways Japan eats whale

SUMMARY

Whale cutlets, sliced raw whale, deep-fried whale nuggets, whale bacon and whale jerky feature on the menu at the restaurant Yoko Ichihara runs - and that's just a small sample of the ways Japan eats whale.

By ReutersJun 24, 2019 10:18:58 AM IST (Published)

Whale cutlets, sliced raw whale, deep-fried whale nuggets, whale bacon and whale jerky feature on the menu at the restaurant Yoko Ichihara runs - and that's just a small sample of the ways Japan eats whale. REUTERS/Issei Kato

Though Japan's government maintains that eating whale is a cherished part of its food culture, nationwide consumption didn't really take off until after World War Two and peaked in the early 1960s before falling as other protein sources became cheaply available. REUTERS/Issei Kato

A 1986 global whaling moratorium madewhalea pricey food that rarely appears on family tables or in ordinary supermarkets, with vendors relying onJapan's scientific research whaling for their supply. REUTERS/Issei Kato

Schools occasionally serve it for lunch, including some - like those in Chigasaki, a city west of Tokyo that is not a traditional whaling area - as a way of teaching children what people ate in the past. REUTERS/Issei Kato

Whale represents only 0.1 percent of Japan's meat consumption, so proponents say getting the next generation to eat it is essential. REUTERS/Issei Kato