Whaling lessons in Japan

Thirty-eight fifth year students from the town's primary school were present as a nine-metre-long Baird's Beaked whale was sprayed with water before being butchered.

"This part is the fat. If you're scared, close your eyes," said Yoshinori Shoji, president of the Gaibo Hogei whaling company, as one of the workers sawed off the whale's skin and fat, exposing the dark meat and entrails.

"Here in Wada we eat whales. Every family eats whale at least once during the summer whaling season," said Michiyo Masuda, the students' teacher. "If we are eating whales, we have the responsibility to see and learn how they're prepared."

At her school, fifth grade students study the biology of whales, the history of whaling and how to cook the meat.

"They're so skilful," some students said. But others gasped, "Stop! It's so pitiable!"

Whale is a rarity on most Japanese tables, but Wada residents regularly eat it at home and in school lunches. Free samples of fried whale meat were handed out later.

Japan's international whaling programme suffered a blow when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in March ordered a halt to its "scientific whaling" programme in the Antarctic.

The surprise move prompted Japan to cancel whaling in the Southern Ocean for 2014-2015.

Japan has long maintained that many whale species are not endangered. It began what it calls scientific whaling in 1987, a year after an international moratorium took effect. Coastal whaling is exempt from the moratorium.

Tokyo intends to continue scientific whaling despite the ICJ ruling, saying Japan simply needs to devise a new research plan in line with the finding, as it does not cover coastal whaling or whaling outside the Antarctic.