Whale Meat!

[mad pierrot]

that Whale is served in a variety of tasty ways!


Last week I had the privilege of being taken to one of the best Whale restaurants in Osaka, Tokuya. Before eating at Tokuya, I had whale meat in my school lunch, whale sushi, and whale curry in Kii-Katsura. All of it pales in comparison to what Tokuya offers....


Check out some of these dishes:


Fried Whale
Whale Burger
Whale Bacon
Raw Whale
Whale Stew
Whale Oden
Whale Nabe
Whale katsu
Whale Salad

and the list goes on.


I had a dinner for two which costs about 80 bucks. Slightly pricey, but it did include alot of food. (I couldn't finish it all.) All in all, it was a very interesting experience going to a whale meat themed restaurant. The staff was very courteous, the food was great, and the atmosphere was..... unique.


For those of you who live in the Osaka area and want to give it a try, check out their great English website.

http://www.tokuya.jp/English/e_next.html

They've even got a gift shop that carries whale jerky......

[Kara_Nari]

Hahahhah, I didnt know that you were such a fatty and needed dinner for two!! ^^ Just kidding.
Hmmm sounds interesting! Still arent you scared you might get poisoned?
Does it taste like something from the sea, or very different?

[nice gaijin]

I found the whale graphic on the bowl to be amusing... what whale would be happy about being an entree at a restaurant? It's kind of like those happy chickens and cows depicted in beef and chicken ads.

[mad pierrot]

Actually, it tasted alot like beef.......




:biggrin:

[nurizeko]

Thats great, i only fear this post will inflame the irrattional yapping of our local wild-activist population to start attacking.

Yeah i find the happy whale amusing aswell, whats next, an image of a whale getting gutted and smiling to you with a thumbs up while the butcher is carving out his meat?.

I never got the fuss over whale-meat myself.

[sabro]

How is whale in terms of fat/saturated fat content? I heard two things that perhaps you can confirm-- one that was it was oily and tough, and the other that it was extremely high in fat....

[Mycernius]

My spidey sense seems to say that a little stirring could be going on here

[sabro]

BBQ? My place....

[Mikawa Ossan]

How is whale in terms of fat/saturated fat content? I heard two things that perhaps you can confirm-- one that was it was oily and tough, and the other that it was extremely high in fat....
The whale I had was neither oily nor tough. And it certainly didn't seem very high in fat, at least from a texture point-of-view.

[mad pierrot]

High in Mercury maybe!

[Kara_Nari]

Well, I have been very 'experimental' with food since leaving my homeland!
Probably can get Whale in Korea... went to the fish markets last night, and they have very very very strange looking things in there!

[nurizeko]

Thats a main problem with my eating habits in east asia, its not so much the taste of the ingredients that bother me, its that i dont know what the hell im actually eating that puts me off. :blush:

[Reiku]

Actually, it tasted alot like beef.......
:biggrin:

Seriously?

If so, I'll have to try it sometime. I love beef, and after getting in so many arguments over whaling on this forum, I'm temped to try it just to have a better understanding of what I've been defending out of principle. :D

[Timsan]

what kind of whale was it

[earthangel]

Mad Pierrot, anyone who eats whalemeat is either selfish, ignorant or stupid - or all three. Selfish because you don't even consider the pain you are causing the whale by eating it. Ignorant because you don't understand that every whale death is leading the species closer and closer to extinction, since they are endangered. Stupid because eating whale (and dolphin) meat is very high in mercury, pcbs and dioxin and causes cancer. Is that how you want to die, painfully like the whale and dolphins? Then go ahead. Nothing is going to stop you anyway. Your mentality is the same as the very corporations who are raping and destroying this beautiful earth all for profit and greed.

[nurizeko]

I think your viewpoint is...well...pointless earth-angel, animal activists have dug up the remains of a dead relative of a target and terrorised a whole village in their crusade, did this not hurt the feelings of another animal? the humans of this village?.

Whale hunting is fine aslong as it doesnt endanger the species, as for pain, well, life is pain, get over it.

[mad pierrot]

Mad Pierrot, anyone who eats whalemeat is either selfish, ignorant or stupid - or all three. Selfish because you don't even consider the pain you are causing the whale by eating it. Ignorant because you don't understand that every whale death is leading the species closer and closer to extinction, since they are endangered. Stupid because eating whale (and dolphin) meat is very high in mercury, pcbs and dioxin and causes cancer. Is that how you want to die, painfully like the whale and dolphins? Then go ahead. Nothing is going to stop you anyway. Your mentality is the same as the very corporations who are raping and destroying this beautiful earth all for profit and greed.

I'd like to respond to this piece by piece, if you don't mind. You're making it easy for yourself to seem uneducated and judgmental, but I'll try to be objective in my response.

Selfish because you don't even consider the pain you are causing the whale by eating it.

Who said I haven't? I cause lots of people pain, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally. But I alwasy consider what I'm doing.

Ignorant because you don't understand that every whale death is leading the species closer and closer to extinction, since they are endangered.

What can I say? You obviously don't know what your talking about. Do you know what kind of whale I ate? Do you know if it's endangered? The funny part is, even if I am eating minke whales off the face of the planet, I'm obviously not ignorant about it. Have you read any of my other posts about whaling? So again you're just assuming things and then judging me. Strike two.

Stupid because eating whale (and dolphin) meat is very high in mercury, pcbs and dioxin and causes cancer.

Oh yes, I actually posted a link to an article about the high mercury content of whale meat. However, you must really know nothing about body chemistry if you believe that eating whale a few times will give you mercury poisoning. Honestly, if I hadn't read your profile, I would have assumed you're just a teenager by the way you write.

Your mentality is the same as the very corporations who are raping and destroying this beautiful earth all for profit and greed.

So, after reading that I've eaten whale, you've conclued that my mentality is bent on raping the world for profit and greed? I'd appreciate some elaboration here. And Menkit, I sincerely would like to have a dialogue with you, so please don't ignore my post. I would be happy to continue via PM if that is more comfortable for you.

[bezz]

Before eating at Tokuya, I had whale meat in my school lunch, whale sushi, and whale curry in Kii-Katsura.http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/etc/05/020106/13_494.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/zenyasai2/31.jpg


Fried Whale
http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/coo/04/0915/21_6155.jpg

Whale Burger
http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/coo/05/0917/c1_09_3646.jpg

Whale Bacon
http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/eve/05/021718/17_9801.jpg

Raw Whale
http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/coo/04/1018/17_0536.jpg

Whale Stew
http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/coo/04/0915/20_6149.jpg

Whale Oden
http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/tra/05/0514/548.jpg

Whale Nabe
http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/edu/06/0210/181.jpg

Whale katsu
http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/tra/05/0514/606.jpg

Whale Salad
http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/edu/05/1206/16_9502.jpgThey've even got a gift shop that carries whale jerky......http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/edu/04/080607/35_9337.jpg


related post (http://www.jref.com/forum/showpost.php?p=143799)

[Reiku]

What's funny about this, is that there is a local resteraunt that serves a burger called the "Beached Whale" It's actually just lots of hamburger and onions piled on a loaf of sourdough, but to find out there are real whaleburgers after eating that... :D

Anyway, about this:

Mad Pierrot, anyone who eats whalemeat is either selfish, ignorant or stupid - or all three. Selfish because you don't even consider the pain you are causing the whale by eating it. Ignorant because you don't understand that every whale death is leading the species closer and closer to extinction, since they are endangered. Stupid because eating whale (and dolphin) meat is very high in mercury, pcbs and dioxin and causes cancer. Is that how you want to die, painfully like the whale and dolphins? Then go ahead. Nothing is going to stop you anyway. Your mentality is the same as the very corporations who are raping and destroying this beautiful earth all for profit and greed.

Nurizeko and Mad Pierrot covered most of what I had to say on te subject, except for this:

Your mentality, Earth Angel, is the same as a bigoted religious extremist. Because a person choses to eat something proscribed by your beliefs, you call them evil and attack them vehemently?

What's next? Are you going to hijack a plane and fly it into the local whaleburger shop?

If you don't agree with a person, fine--but you need to understand one thing:

"Evil" is the label we give to something we feel should be destroyed. When you call a person "evil", you are making a category in your mind that says "this person should not exist".

Be very careful about judging people to be evil, and never do it so rashly as you did here--it is only a single step from "they are evil" to "they must die", and if you continue to indulge in blind hate like this, you risk becoming a murderer.

[nurizeko]

Sounds about right, from some animal activist behaviour I've witnessed and heard of, their getting to the stage thats barely above bombing public places.

Wait for it, chances are it will happen eventually.

The funny thing is these same people who would take such extremist vegetarian/animal activist activities, are also raging atheists ussually, they despise religion, yet they fail to see the irony of the fact their animal activism could be likened very easily towards the religious fanaticism/extremism and fundamentalism they preach to loath.

[neo7001]

I have worked in the Ross Sea and surrounding oceans for around 10 years and have seen the Japanese whaling vessels many times. I have seen pods of Minki whales every year and some pods have well over 1000 whales. Tell me please whats the difference between killing a whale and killing a cow. maybe we have higher cow numbers and thats why no one cares about that. If you have seen the number of Minki whales for your self you would know there are plenty they are also very fast growing as far as whale growth goes. I see no problems at all with Whaling for research or commerical purposes as long as it is a controled Fishery. I believe green peace are targeting the wrong people when they head south to the Ross sea and try and stop fishing operations. The Japanese always return with there quota so in my books its a failed mission and a waste of money because let me tell you its not cheap to send a vessel all that way. The japanese on the vessels are people just like you and I trying to make a living they are sent down there by higher forces. If i was given the chance to work on a Japanese whale vessel I would in the blink of an eye. Looks like fun to me

[yukio_michael]

I think I read somewhere that wales actually prefer to be eaten. Actually, I'm quite pleased with this thread. I'm frankly a little tired of all the 'naturecrunchgranolagirl494' threads warning people not to eat or hunt whale simply because they cry when watching the Notebook too...

...sigh. Least of all, every organism throughout history has subjugated it's inferiors, or weaker counterparts without fail. It's purely a social condition to suggest that now we 'know better', as is often the argument. I'm sorry, but this just doesn't hold up well in any sort of way as you only need look out the window, read the paper, look around you, to see that at all times, the strong impose their (always right in their eyes) will on the weak...

...that's how it goes.

[Toneza]

G'day, friends ~ i'm from Australia and have been filming whale behaviour and researching them for years and i thought i would drop in for a visit and give you a little information that may shock people who eat whale meat, and especially pregnant mothers who have eaten it.

I will attach the report, and please consider your families, mothers and sisters, and make them aware of this problem. Thankyou ~~

Whale Call Incorporated, www.whalecall.org , an international non-profit NGO, is concerned with ocean research and conservation.

Whale Call research has indicated specific concerns relating to the health of Japanese children.

The following letter outlines our concern ~~

Is Your Government Stealing Away Your Children's Future?
__________________________________________________ __

Raise Your Voice against Whaling & Whale meat Consumption
Stop Poisoning your Babies with Mercury and PCB's

In the history of every culture, there comes a time when customs and practices must change for the good of humankind. That time has come for Japan. It is time to face the concerns of the scientific community and stop hunting and consuming whales, for the sake of the Japanese people and the future of the marine mammals.

Pro-whaling nations insist that whale meat is healthier than beef. But the truth is that whales are particularly vulnerable to environmental contaminants, including organochlorines such as polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and dioxin and heavy metals, such as mercury and methylmercury.

High levels of mercury appear to be present in whale meat sold widely as food in Japan, even in schools, with further sales of cheap whale meat to be sold on the menus of hospitals, bars and more schools.

Scientists warn that women and children are highly vulnerable and affected by the consumption of contaminated whale meat. Pregnant women consuming toxic whale meat place their babies and themselves in immediate danger. And all that, with their government's blessings.

Frank Cipriano, Ph.D., director of the Conservation Genetics Laboratory at San Francisco State University stated that "This is a clear signal that Japan has a major health problem that the government has not addressed."

The effects of environmental contaminants in humans are serious. PCBs can cause neurotoxicity (nerve damage), reproductive and developmental disorders, immune system suppression, liver damage, skin irritation, and endocrine disruption. DDT exposure is associated with certain cancer risks and neurological and reproductive disorders. Dioxins, among the most toxic substances known, can cause cancer, metabolic dysfunction, and immune system disorders.

According to a study by Japanese scientists, some samples contain almost 200 times the maximum safety value.

In 2002, University of Hokkaido researchers found that liver samples taken from whales and dolphins had average concentrations of mercury that were 900 times above the safety limit. Two of the samples were 9000 times the limit.

As for toxicity, mercury safety limits were breached in 62 per cent of the samples and limits of methylmercury, a more poisonous form of mercury derived by the action of bacteria in the water, were exceeded in 53 per cent of them.

The average level of mercury and that of methylmercury was respectively more than five times and nearly four times the maximum allowable levels.

All the small cetacean samples were above the limit, for both mercury and methylmercury.

The irony, says the report, is that whale meat is marketed in Japan as a health food, distributed for school lunches and even for medical benefit.

Norway, the only other country that kills significant numbers of whales, in 2003 advised pregnant and breastfeeding women against eating whale meat because of worries about mercury.
Mercury in the Umbilical Cord: Implications for Risk Assessment for Minamata Disease.
Scientists examined the relation between the mercury concentrations in umbilical cord tissue with the methylmercury levels in the mother’s hair and in the umbilical cord blood. The umbilical cord tissue was obtained from 50 births in the Faroe Islands where high methylmercury intake is caused by regularly eating a lot of pilot whale meat.

Minamata disease is the name given to the bad effects caused by methylmercury in Japanese people living on Minamata Bay Japan. These Japanese fishing villagers were severely poisoned with methylmercury by regularly eating a lot of fish locally caught in Minamata Bay Japan for a long time. A local Japanese industry dumped great amounts of mercury-containing industrial waste directly into Minamata Bay Japan.

The methylmercury levels in the umbilical cord tissue match-up well with those methylmercury levels found in the umbilical cord blood and almost as well with the methylmercury levels found in the mother’s hair.

These scientists found that high levels of methylmercury in the umbilical cord tissue are clearly related to how often the pregnant mothers ate how much pilot whale meat. There was much variation in the methylmercury levels from one mother and child to the next mother and child.

Relying on whale meat as a source of protein is not just dangerous for adults, it can also be unhealthy for their children.

Suffice to say, the Japanese government should consider halting commercial whaling and the consumption of highly toxic whale meat for the sake of their future offspring.

It is time for the women of Japan to stand up and oppose to Japanese government's plans of hiding the truth. Whale meat is dangerous and should be omitted immediately from human diet.

The awful truth must be spread and widely known.

While we recognize the significance of whales & whaling in the history and culture of Japan, we believe that it is time to look into the future, and stop a practice that puts in danger the health of generations to come.

~~~

“every drop of rain that falls ends up in the mouths of whales – it is up to humans to control what substances enter that raindrop during its journey to the ocean”

Blessings peace&unity Toneza

[nice gaijin]

This is the same 'article' posted by earthangel here http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24150&highlight=stealing+future

and by YOU here
http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24227&highlight=stealing+future

You might be trying to get the most exposure for your little group, but around here three copies of the same thing is a waste of space. If you actually have something to add to the conversation, go to that first link and RESPOND to the thread. If you're just spamming, take it elsewhere.

[Reiku]

Besides, whale isn't the only food that can have dangerous contaminants in it. I ate some fish a freind caught off the peir a few days ago, so my blood is probably swimming with mercury and other toxic substances right now. For that matter, toxins can easily leech out of the soil and contaminate plants...

...here's an idea, how about all the animal rights activists stop eating. Just stop eating anything and go sit in a tree. You'll probably starve to death, but at least you'll know you didn't hurt any poor wittle animals or get mecury poisoning.

Meanwhile, I'm saving up for a better fishing pole, I've seen people catch baby thresher sharks off the pier--and I do love to eat thresher shark. :evil:

[yukio_michael]

tl;dr
Can we please keep this thread only about eating whales... at least give us this one single thread to talk about saving room for some whale meat, rather than saving the whales.

Thanks!

[WhaleKillers]

Sorry, but issues regarding eating/saving whales...or rather the road to endangering another species will go hand in hand and probably worsen as Japan sets about killing more whales in the future. This is a dangerous path we're heading, both environmentally and morally. It makes Japan gov't look evil again, out to willfully destroy life where it does not need to. Why force whale meat upon society, when most people don't even have taste for whale meat anymore? Why introduce another species to be slaughtered when we don't need to? Are people in Japan starving again as in WWII? Or are Japanese gov't too rich and bored, that they must have everything like spoiled children?

[bkoska2005]

Can whale meat ,canned or smoked be mail ordered? ive never tried it.

[natmoon]

I do realise that different cultures have different views on what is right and wrong but i believe that it is wrong to eat whales and dolphins because of the level of their intelligence,i dont really like the idea of eating sentient beings:okashii:

[bezz]

http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/tra/05/0514/597.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/tra/04/0529/d_12.jpg
Left: whale jerkey
Right: clear soup with aosa seaweed and whale skin

http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/edu/06/0210/202.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/eve/04/1017_2/w008.jpg
Left: whale sashimi
Right: simmered whale, "maple" style

http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/etc/05/1029/07_5812.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/edu/05/1206/18_9463.jpg
Left: grilled whale marinated in miso
Right: tatsuta-age (dredged with potato starch, deep-fried)

http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/tra/04/0529/d_05.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/edu/06/0210/209.jpg
Left: vinegared skin
Right: tendon dressed with miso&vinegar sauce

http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/edu/05/1206/19_9458.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/edu/05/1206/20_9487.jpg
Left: whale rice
Right: whale miso soup

[yamakazu]

whaling is not needed for Japanese people. There are food that bring from all over the world. We Japanese must not hurt the poeple who help us. It is the global rule,isn't it? We live on other food now, and we throw away large amount of food that can be eaten. Before we call for whaling, we have a lot of things to do, for example we reduse the gavages that might have been used for starving people.

[bezz]

Party platter:

http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/tanosimukai05/16.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/viking/16.jpg
http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/eve/04/1017_2/21_0155.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/viking/15.jpg
http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/concours/14.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/viking/19.jpg
http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/eve/04/1017_2/17_0134.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/eve/04/1017_2/16_0132.jpg

[miki78]

WHALE MEAT

*turns back and walks away utturly descusted*

I have no words that wouldn't get me baned

[bezz]

Complete dinner:

http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/concours/11.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/concours/13.jpg

[miki78]

If these pics are not allowed please delete them and i apologize i just thought it might be nice to show people the other side of there meal

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e245/miki78/makohoney/whale-hunt-japan.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e245/miki78/makohoney/image006.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e245/miki78/makohoney/_40168166_minke203.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e245/miki78/makohoney/image004.gif
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e245/miki78/makohoney/19990513-baleenwhalehunt.jpg

I expect people have seen these pics before and expect those that enjoy these living beings as food will find no problem with them but i wanted to post them anyway

There is no way i can put my point across i think without it turning into an arument

So i wanted to say it with pictures and few words

[bezz]

http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/etc/06/0323/279.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/etc/06/0323/242.jpg
http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/etc/06/0323/286.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/etc/06/0323/320.jpg

[miki78]

Yep the dead remains of a beutiful creature that once felt thought and breathed really beutiful that *sighs*

[ricecake]

I've had gourmet " shark fin " soup served at wedding banquets,haven't tried whale meat yet.

[Dutch Baka]

Can we please keep this thread only about eating whales... at least give us this one single thread to talk about saving room for some whale meat, rather than saving the whales.

Thanks!
I agree with you on this one. We have a lot of Saving the Whale threads ( espcially from activist that come here just to post 1 message rather than stick around), so let's have at least 1 thread for the whale food.

A friend of mine had it in his school lunch in Kushiro (hokaido).

[craftsman]

Perhaps the sensible thing to do, if this is just for whale meat, is move it to the Japanese food section

[Dutch Baka]

Perhaps the sensible thing to do, if this is just for whale meat, is move it to the Japanese food section


Done, and I changed the title to Whale meat, because that's what this all is about isn't?! (hope you don't mind mad pierrot)

[bezz]

Some more examples of "Western" style dishes:

http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/tra/04/0529/d_10.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/eve/04/1017_2/y009.jpg

[Jason Pitzer]

I wonder is there any kind of canned whale meat? and can it be shipped into the USA?

Besides, whale isn't the only food that can have dangerous contaminants in it. I ate some fish a freind caught off the peir a few days ago, so my blood is probably swimming with mercury and other toxic substances right now. For that matter, toxins can easily leech out of the soil and contaminate plants...

...here's an idea, how about all the animal rights activists stop eating. Just stop eating anything and go sit in a tree. You'll probably starve to death, but at least you'll know you didn't hurt any poor wittle animals or get mecury poisoning.

Meanwhile, I'm saving up for a better fishing pole, I've seen people catch baby thresher sharks off the pier--and I do love to eat thresher shark. :evil: I heard Cali Leopard Sharks are good true? I have a friend who catchs em off piers in San Fran.

[bezz]

http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/tra/04/0529/d_09.jpg http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/topic/tra/04/0529/d_08.jpg
Left: whale jerky, Right: whale sausage