Tourism Development and Whaling—Heritage as Sustainable Future

ABSTRACT

Whaling in Japan suffers from entrenched positions by leadership, resigned to permanent disagreement (International Whaling Panel Discussion), as well as “activist impotence” observed in the failure to create dialogue or change policy. Australian Prime Minister Turnbull sites a difference of opinion rather than culture. There is impasse. A circuit breaker is required so an imaginative tourism-focused strategy is proposed in Taiji, Wakayama prefecture where events are created voicing narratives of tradition and sustainable futures based on a unique and sustainable past. Awareness through interpretive display, restored heritage, living museum, festivals and ceremony turns negative perceptions into positive. A current cultural deficit can be developed into a tourism asset, as Japan reclaims respect and unique industrial heritage. Transition from whaling to whale tourism has precedents (Australia and the US). Japan has its own remarkable place (Taiji), objects (Sekobune), practice (net whaling/drive hunting) and food culture (UNESCO classification) to present.

KEYWORDS:

• Whaling
• activism
• UNESCO
• heritage
• respect

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 Personal communication with Joji Morishita (31 May 2016).

2 Over 1000 items from 1996 to 2016, focusing on press and electronic media including constant weekly review since January, 2008.

3 Huffington Post (31 August 2016).

4 Seminar Proceedings (Tokyo University, 11 December 2015).

5 Available at http://atlas.biodiversity.aq/outline.html

6 Personal communication at the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs (1 October 2016).

7 The Japan Times (The Yomiura Shimbun publication, 17 August 2016).

8 Personal communication (10 December 2015).

9 UNESCO Conference June, 2015, Wakayama

10 Available at https://youtu.be/qmWc_Wvykzk

11 UNESCO classification, December 2013, for Japanese cuisine as intangible cultural heritage.