Greenpeace Japan gets support from Japanese

[Chi65]

OK, I decided to post this now:

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/aug2007/2007-08-30-04.asp

TAIJI, Japan, August 30, 2007

Councilmen From Japanese Whaling Town Break Code of Silence

(ENS) - Two town council members from the whaling town of Taiji have come out publicly against the feeding of dolphin meat contaminated with mercury to children in Japan's school lunch programs. It is the first time that Japanese elected officials have broken the unwritten rule against criticizing whaling and the consumption of whale meat that prevails across the country.
Independents Junichiro Yamashita and Hisato Ryono will be holding a news conference on Monday to announce laboratory test results of samples taken from dolphin meat purchased at local supermarkets. The meat was found to contain over 10 times the government's limit for both mercury and methyl mercury.
The news conference comes as the annual dolphin drive hunt begins in Taiji. Conservationists around the world oppose the hunt, the largest kill of dolphins anywhere in the world, which takes place over six months beginning in September.
From left, Taiji City Assemblymen Junichiro Yamashita and Hisato Ryono (Photo by Boyd Harnell courtesy Save Japan Dolphins)
Yamashita said, "We're not against traditional whaling, but we heard claims that pilot whales are poisoned with mercury, and we discovered that some of this meat from the drive fisheries was fed to kids in school lunches."
The assemblymen described the dolphin meat as "toxic waste" and are attempting to persuade other elected officials in Taiji and surrounding towns to take it off school lunch menus.
Although the supermarkets immediately removed dolphin meat from their shelves after they were informed of the test results, the town of Taiji is moving ahead with plans to build a new dolphin processing facility while expanding the dolphin meat lunch programs to surrounding school districts, says Ric O'Barry of the advocacy group Save Japan Dolphins.
A former trainer of dolphin TV star Flipper, O'Barry is an American who travels to Taiji to oppose the annual dolphin hunt.
O'Barry is attempting to draw the attention of the Japanese media to the efforts of Yamashita and Ryono to stop the feeding of mercury-laced dolphin meat to children at school, but he says "the complete stonewalling by Japanese government agencies and the media on the issue now prompts Yamashita to bring his case to the attention of the foreign press."
A notice of Yamashita's news conference is listed on the website of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan.
One Japanese newspaper has published an article about Yamashita and Ryono's lab tests. On August 1, the "Japan Times" ran an article quoting Yamashita as saying the two council members at first did not believe the reports of contaminated meat, which came from western conservation organizations.
"We tested some samples purchased at the Gyoko supermarket in Taiji and Super Center Okuwa in the nearby city of Shingu," Yamashita said. The councilmen were "shocked" by the results.
Dolphin meat for sale in a Japanese supermarket. (Photo courtesy Sea Shepherd Conservation Society)
"One dolphin sample had a mercury content 10 times above the health ministry's advisory level of 0.4 parts per million, with a methylmercury readout 10.33 times over the ministry's own advisory level of 0.3 ppm," the article states.
"Another dolphin sample tested 15.97 times and 12 times above advisory levels of total mercury and methylmercury, respectively."
The nervous system is very sensitive to all forms of mercury. Methylmercury and metallic mercury vapors are more harmful than other forms, because more mercury in these forms reaches the brain.
Exposure to high levels of metallic, inorganic, or organic mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys, and developing fetus. Children poisoned by mercury may develop problems of their nervous and digestive systems, and kidney damage. Effects on brain functioning may result in irritability, shyness, tremors, changes in vision or hearing, and memory problems.
Mercury poisoning received worldwide attention during the 1950s when hundreds died and thousands more were injured in the city of Minamata, Japan after a corporation polluted the waters of Minamata Bay with mercury compounds. Local residents who ate fish from the bay were poisoned.
Many governments now issue health bulletins advising pregnant women and children to avoid eating fish known to contain high levels of mercury.
etc.etc.

You need more??
How about this then?

Mercury poisoning - Wikipedia

and thats only one too high content of more. . .

The same applies to whales, also Scientific whaling meat.

With according effects, for example:

Here we see an image of an outwardly healthy mother bathing her fetal-poisoned 16 year old daughter, Tomoko Uemura, physically crippled since birth

. . . . . . .no theme??

 

[kame]

If loving and caring for my friends is something for you to laugh about, I feel very sorrry for you indeed. And I am not even Greenpeace, who sure also has similar reasons involved, the toxic is very well also mentioned there for long, it never dissappeared, by the way, to be even more correct..also repeated any times (and why should they not care about whales themselves? I see nothing wrong about this either)
I would thus probably not wish to stop you from eating that poison, why should I care, if you so dearly wish to be poisoned and damage your sperms etc.? Thats really not my problem. Do as you like, but don't you ever say again, you did not know.

Exactly. You should leave us alone if you really "care" or "love" Japanese friends, because friends don't impose their cultural or moral values on another friend. I don't know about Germany, but we don't call those people friends in Japan.

If there is really a compelling case in whale meat toxicity, then the anti-whalers should focus their entire energy on informing that fact to Japanese public without chasing and harassing whaling ships which actually distracts the issue from Japanese public. I'm saying that's the single huge bullet that anti-whaling campaign could have. If they have the bullet and still fail to shoot it, they must be way too stupid to promote anything, or they really aren't interested in the cause in the first place (they're just interested in money as well).

 

[Taiko666]

Exactly. You should leave us alone if you really "care" or "love" Japanese friends, because friends don't impose their cultural or moral values on another friend. I don't know about Germany, but we don't call those people friends in Japan.

"You don't like whaling! You must HATE us!!! You're not our friends!!!!" (cue sounds of toys being hurled from prams.)

When will Japan grow out of that argument? (Or rather the Japanese pro-whalers... there are Japanese who detest the J-Gov's stance.)

As for the toxicity issue: the J-Gov already knows about it (ditto the toxicity in dolphins) BUT fails to communicate it to the J-public. Why? (=rhetorical question)

So you're now relying on the anti-whalers to save you from the neglect of the J-Gov? Happy to oblige I'm sure.

 

[kame]

"We oppose whaling because I care for the health of Japanese people" is the funniest anti-whaling argument I've ever heard. Japanese population is among the most healthiest in the developed countries and Japanese people outlive almost every other nationalities.

It's the western diet that's causing health problems in Japan today. If you are really concerned for the health of Japanese people, please stop exporting cheap beef, German beer, and fat-loaded fastfood franchizes. That will save million times more Japanese compared to denying whale meat.

Yes, some whale species and certain parts contain alarming levels of toxic compounds, but so do a lot of other seafood. I'd rather eat whale meat than play russian roulette with 20% fat burger made from BSE-untested US-beef. We (Japanese) know the risks and we study and monitor what we eat more carefully than any other countries. We don't need your concerns.

 

[centrajapan]

Is the Minke whale what they hunt in Taiji? No, it is Pilot Whales. Is there more mercury in the blubber than the meat? You see there are all these things you have to know about.

WHALE IS NOT DANGEROUS There is no such thing as a whale.

Chi still has not answered me what whale spiecies and what part of the whale etc and then distorts facts with half truths. For instance in Minamata the fish was taken just outside of a chemical plant where as whales are not. There are 80 differtent whale speicies and since they have different diet the mercury level is different from whale spiecies to whale spieces not to mention where the whale has been swimming etc.

These cultural imperialists like CHi ANd Tako666 are practicing severe racial discrimination and culture imperialism by trying to impose their eating habits onto Japan or denying Japanese what they want to eat. That is the defenition of cultural imperialism. I am not telling them what not to eat but they are telling me what not to eat this makes them racists and not me.

If the minke whale was an endangered spiecies and if the hunt was not sustainable then they would have had a point but since it isnt they do not have any point at all.

INstead of pastintg pictures of Minamata victims why do not you in your own words tell me what whale speicies have mercury and what does not.

Anti whalers are driven mostly by ignorance and a lack of understandment of whales and cultures who have been eating whale meat for centuries.

If you compare whale meat to for instance beef you would be suprised to see how much filth there is in beef not to mention do you guys know how sausage is made and what is in them? Id choose an ecological whale beef over sausage any day thank you very much.

 

[Taiko666]

It's the western diet that's causing health problems in Japan today. If you are really concerned for the health of Japanese people, please stop exporting cheap beef, German beer, and fat-loaded fastfood franchizes. That will save million times more Japanese compared to denying whale meat.

I agree. But instead of 'us' ceasing exports, why don't 'you' just stop eating it? Or are you waiting for somebody to tell/force you to stop eating it?

We don't need your concerns.

So there! There goes another flying toy.
If you ask for nothing, you'll receive it in abundance.

I notice you use 'we/us' and 'you' thoughout. Can you ever entertain the idea that it's not a 'ware ware nihonjin against the big bad world' issue?

 

[Taiko666]

These cultural imperialists like CHi ANd Tako666 are practicing severe racial discrimination and culture imperialism

Why do you have to punctuate what legitimate discussion points you may have with ridiculous slurs and insults? Can't you keep calm even for the duration of one post?

Good luck with your future rants.

 

[centrajapan]

Why do you have to punctuate what legitimate discussion points you may have with ridiculous slurs and insults? Can't you keep calm even for the duration of one post?

I am calm. I am stating something very clear and obvious. I try to explain in my own words as simple as possible so that you can understand. Just what part of the cultural imperialism that I accuse you for do you not understand?

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Centrajapan, I think you would be better served to refrain from using the term "racist" here, as race doesn't seem to be an issue. "Cultural Imperialism" is fair play, I suppose, though, as long as there is an explanation of what you mean and not just an accusation, though.

I think that the idea of cultural imperialism is worth discussion, certainly.

 

[Taiko666]

I haven't actually addressed the issue of Japan whaling in principle. (Obviously I disapprove of it, but that's another matter.)

I've talked about the the J-Gov whipping up nationalistic sentiment in Japan by sailing into internationally protected antarctic waters to kill large numbers of whales on the pretext of a blatant, obvious, cringing lie.

Culture has nothing to do with it. Therefore tedious cries of 'cultural imperliasm' mean nothing.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

I've talked about the the J-Gov whipping up nationalistic sentiment in Japan by sailing into internationally protected antarctic waters to kill large numbers of whales on the pretext of a blatant, obvious, cringing lie.
Culture has nothing to do with it. Therefore tedious cries of 'cultural imperliasm' mean nothing.

That's fair. Hypothetically then, if whaling was done exclusively within Japan's economic exclusionary zone, do you think you'd have a legal basis to oppose Japanese whaling? (Personally, I am quite neutral on this issue.)

 

[centrajapan]

I've talked about the the J-Gov whipping up nationalistic sentiment in Japan by sailing into internationally protected antarctic waters to kill large numbers of whales on the pretext of a blatant, obvious, cringing lie.
Culture has nothing to do with it. Therefore tedious cries of 'cultural imperliasm' mean nothin

The reason why J-government is whipping up national sentiments is because they are the victims of cultural imperialism imposed by anti whaling countries. It is a reaction to the racist imperialistic mind set of anti whalers. If someone is nationalistic it is the anti whalers.

The scientific research programme is to calculate how many whales they can hunt and make it sustainable. That is what is scientific about it and that is not a lie. Being against Japans whaling is cultural imperialism. Thats my point.

Any culture evolves and how that culture evolves should be up to the people of that culture to decide and not some outsider. In this case the anti whalers.

The reason why this is politicalised is not because of Japan but anti whalers.

There is no scientific justification to protect a non endangered spiecies in a multi spiecies eco system. This has nothing to do with science or environemnt but simply the anti whalers treating the whales as some sacred floating cow.

This nationalism if there is one which Taiko666 talks about is not coming from Japan but rather from the culture imperialists. Why is it more wrong to eat whales than cows? This question I will never understand. Why can people fish in Antractica but not kill whales there?

 

[Chi65]

"You don't like whaling! You must HATE us!!! You're not our friends!!!!" (cue sounds of toys being hurled from prams.)
When will Japan grow out of that argument? (Or rather the Japanese pro-whalers... there are Japanese who detest the J-Gov's stance.)
As for the toxicity issue: the J-Gov already knows about it (ditto the toxicity in dolphins) BUT fails to communicate it to the J-public. Why? (=rhetorical question)
So you're now relying on the anti-whalers to save you from the neglect of the J-Gov? Happy to oblige I'm sure.

Exactly, so why now blaming it on one german poster or Greenpeace from some?
Thats only ridiculous and thats all. I can only continue to wonder, why some refuse to grow up.

Your why is in fact exactly the question, Taiko . .a question the Japanese have to ask themselves. For exactly why some close their eyes in front of their own home made desaster, which has nothing to do with me or any German or any other country.
Its far too wellknown, that it is for money reasons and keeping their own people silenced. Its NOT the others, its their own people, that are and will be responsible.

 

[Chi65]

"We oppose whaling because I care for the health of Japanese people" is the funniest anti-whaling argument I've ever heard. Japanese population is among the most healthiest in the developed countries and Japanese people outlive almost every other nationalities.

It's the western diet that's causing health problems in Japan today. If you are really concerned for the health of Japanese people, please stop exporting cheap beef, German beer, and fat-loaded fastfood franchizes. That will save million times more Japanese compared to denying whale meat.

Yes, some whale species and certain parts contain alarming levels of toxic compounds, but so do a lot of other seafood. I'd rather eat whale meat than play russian roulette with 20% fat burger made from BSE-untested US-beef. We (Japanese) know the risks and we study and monitor what we eat more carefully than any other countries. We don't need your concerns.

Who is "we"? You mean "you". Because I don't have to, nor will ask you in general, and particularly not in relation to my many japanese friends, who do share the same concern as me in this (which has nothing to do with any other of your aspects from my side, only this one), and they have no idea, why I should be any scapegoat at all. They also blame their own government.
You blow far too much hot air. . .go eat your beef, whale or dolphin burger, I said already, thats your own responsibility, how you kill yourself or so. I personally did not send you any toxics, nor would. Neither would Greenpeace etc. Therefor you are barking on the wrong tree. Its for barking's sake only anyhow.
Please note, this only makes me laugh, thats all.

 

[Chi65]

Is the Minke whale what they hunt in Taiji? No, it is Pilot Whales. Is there more mercury in the blubber than the meat? You see there are all these things you have to know about.
WHALE IS NOT DANGEROUS There is no such thing as a whale.
Chi still has not answered me what whale spiecies and what part of the whale etc and then distorts facts with half truths. For instance in Minamata the fish was taken just outside of a chemical plant where as whales are not. There are 80 differtent whale speicies and since they have different diet the mercury level is different from whale spiecies to whale spieces not to mention where the whale has been swimming etc.
These cultural imperialists like CHi ANd Tako666 are practicing severe racial discrimination and culture imperialism by trying to impose their eating habits onto Japan or denying Japanese what they want to eat. That is the defenition of cultural imperialism. I am not telling them what not to eat but they are telling me what not to eat this makes them racists and not me.
If the minke whale was an endangered spiecies and if the hunt was not sustainable then they would have had a point but since it isnt they do not have any point at all.
INstead of pastintg pictures of Minamata victims why do not you in your own words tell me what whale speicies have mercury and what does not.
Anti whalers are driven mostly by ignorance and a lack of understandment of whales and cultures who have been eating whale meat for centuries.
If you compare whale meat to for instance beef you would be suprised to see how much filth there is in beef not to mention do you guys know how sausage is made and what is in them? Id choose an ecological whale beef over sausage any day thank you very much.

Why don't you finally read the sciencedirect article, I sent before?

You know well, that you have to ask the scientists, not me. Its not my job nor responsibility to chew this for you, which you can do yourself, any time.
Blaming me for the reports, that everyone can read (and does), and are also from Japan itself, is even more silly.

All the rest from you is the same running-wheel-blabla as before.

 

[Kyoto Returnee]

Centrajapan, I think you would be better served to refrain from using the term "racist" here, as race doesn't seem to be an issue..

I am totally with MO on this as it has nothing to do with Racism whatsoever.

Whales are the issue.

My wife, I and ten month old son are coming to live in Japan permantly.

I cannot wait to be a permanant resident and start to voice my opinion, disagreements and vote in Japan on topics I disagree with.

My wife is Japanese, and always has her disagreements towards things in japan, as I'm sure we all do with our own countries.

Is she not racist because she is Japanese?

I used to hear complaints on a daily basis, mainly from Japanese teenagers, mid age, and seniors about Japan.

I often asked these people, will you vote.

They often replied, "No, because the next person is the same"

This used to annoy me as I figured as long as these people never voted, it was difficult for them to ever get their opinions and ultimate ways into action. Nothing would change, or it would take a long time..

So once again, I'm not sure where the pro whalers get their racism issues from.

 

[Chi65]

So once again, I'm not sure where the pro whalers get their racism issues from.

There must be some former old Nazi-friends amongst them, hehe ;-)

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

I must consider before an anti-whaling argument in this news.
Where is it?
(pollution source of mercury)
The Minamata disease was the source which a chemical factory of manure polluted.
In addition, if mercury of high density was found from a whale,
All the local fish are polluted.
In Minamata, a cat died first.
Because a body was small, the cat influenced mercury contamination first.

A questionable point of this news,
Around Taiji, there is not a chemical factory regarded as pollution source.
What time did the mercury contamination begin at?
If it is mercury of quantity of news,
The cat which already died,
In addition, it is not strange even if there is the person who became sick.
However, I do not know the person who became sick.

 

[Kyoto Returnee]

That's terrible Hiroyuki.. The poor little cat

 

[Chi65]

(PS. sorrry, KR, I did not see or mean you here)

You may like to read this older article, that had a similar issue and reason for japanese protesters. It once more explains former and new findings plus the often cited fact, that the whale (any whale and co !) in general is on top of the pyramid and thus

"Whales are at the top of the food pyramid, so that any pollutants in the oceans concentrate in their bodies," Yoko Tomiyama, chairwoman of the Consumers Union of Japan told Reuters.

which is still valid and often repeated and confirmed.

CNN.com - 'Toxic' whale meat eaters protest - May 9, 2002

Around Taiji, there is not a chemical factory regarded as pollution source.
What time did the mercury contamination begin at?

The Taiji research and article is from mid 2007, as you can see in the according article. It was also published openly in Japan, thus people should know, in fact. Thats why one cannot blame greenpeace or others for not once more pointing to it. It is within their and many other ecological concerned one's pages already, by the way. One only has to give it a look.

No chemical factory near needed, its the general pollution level in the oceans already, as you can see in the 2007 Taiji article. Thats pretty frightening indeed, not just for japanese people. To say, the antarctic whale meat is safer, is pure nonsense, because the whales are travelling all over and only stay there for a certain period. Its the very same whales, that you also find on other places.
Here in Europe we also have campaigns already to inform warehouses etc., not to sell according meat (mostly from Iceland) any more, because of similar reasons. Its not just Japan and has nothing to do with eating habits or other diverting rubbish, to blind the people.

Safe times are simply over, in general.

And to keep these informations under the table or ignore them (and even feed children with this meat!), is almost criminal. But they are openly available, thanks god. (and have absolutely nothing to do with me, I just remind some to have a look)

Best wishes to you, Hiroyuki Nagashima, by the way
Greetings to my beloved Fukuoka/Hakata, and particularly the Art Museum in Ohori parc, where I have wonderful friends.

 

[centrajapan]

Here is CHi talking about the dangers of whale meat while she is eating sausages. And here is Chi wearing leather boots while telling how inhumane it is to kill whales.

Calling Chi from Berlin Germany. Can you hear me? Do you know what whale spiecies have mercury and what whale part of the whale is it you are referring to?

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WHALE BUT MANY WHALES SPIECIES

Could you please tell me what whale spiecies you are referring top so that we can carry on this discussion.

Ethno centric values and imperialism is not a concept of the past. It is very live and it comes in new shapes and colours. See no further than western anit whaling extremists.

Mercury is not the reason to why people oppose whaling. People oppose whaling due to racist close minded reasons.

 

[Chi65]

Here is CHi talking about the dangers of whale meat while she is eating sausages. And here is Chi wearing leather boots while telling how inhumane it is to kill whales.
Calling Chi from Berlin Germany. Can you hear me? Do you know what whale spiecies have mercury and what whale part of the whale is it you are referring to?
Thumbs up for the whalers around the world including the Japanese and Scandinavian. I hope Japan will continue its fine tradition in many years to come and not let outside imperialistic thoughts corrupt Japan.

I am hardly ever eating sausages, by the way and I know why. And maybe you read the former article properly, before you post. There you have your answers already. But since you cannot read, here again:

"Whales are at the top of the food pyramid, so that any pollutants in the oceans concentrate in their bodies,"

Any whale and co!

The oceans stay polluted, so do the whales, if you or I like it or not.

Mercury is not the reason to why people oppose whaling. People oppose whaling due to racist close minded reasons.

The rest is the usual nonsense of the blind. . .

 

[centrajapan]

But you still do eat sausages. Do you know how sausages are made? So you eat meat yet think eating whale meat is inhumane? And now you want to warn us about the dangers of eating whale meat? How nice of you. Did you know that apple seed contains Cyanide which is very toxic. Be careful the next time you eat apples. Not to mention all the chemicals which is shot into the cow such as growth hormones which you then eat.

Whale meat in contrast is known to be healthy. And according to Norwegian, Icelandic scientists in countries with a rich sea food tradition unlike Germnay who hardly eat anything but sausages hence have come very far on this form of research say.

It depends on the whale, what part of the whale. What whale spicies but overall whale meat which is eaten by the Norwegians and Icelandics which is the same whale spiecies as the Japanese eat to be safe.

If there is so much mercury which is higly unlikely if we are to believe non biased research from whaling countries this should not be used as a reason by the racist anti whaling extremists. Rather this needs to be addressed among people who support whaling yet see this as a problem.

 

[Chi65]

They also have some according healthproblems in other countries too, as stated in a former article, which you once more did not read.
Germans have also a long sea food tradition, and thus according regular warnings out, according to our two seas.

When I eat a sausage now and then, it does not harm me too much any more in my age. And I am happy to know, that my daughter is vegetarian, as you know already.

Whale meat is not healthy at all, as can be read in the former articles.
They found the high amounts in exactly the one for children and in general stores. If even Taiji refuses to eat it and also the government gives out warnings now, they definitely believe it, and there must be something, right?
Stay blind, if you like.
I wrote already, that there are already campaigns in other countries too.

Whats wrong with your eyes, too much whale meat already? Those are the first signs, including insanity. . .seems to be common amongst pro whalers.

And your repeatedly narrow racist blabla is only boring now.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Centrajapan, you keep saying "racist" but why do you think people against whaling are racist? Do you think that anti-whaling people would be less anti-whaling towards Norway or other country with a different racial makeup than Japan?

Cultural chauvanism and racism may be related in many cases, but they are not the same thing. Please substantiate your use of this term or stop using it. Nowhere has anyone said to my knowledge anything that sounds like it has racial undertones. It seems to me that anti-whaling people would be equally opposed to whaling practices regardless of the country doing the whaling.