Japanese whaling

Japanese whaling refers to Japan's hunting of whales, a practice with centuries of tradition that became internationally controversial in the late twentieth century.

Japan continued whaling for what it called scientific research after the 1986 commercial whaling moratorium, drawing criticism from conservation groups who viewed it as a loophole.

In 2019, Japan withdrew from the International Whaling Commission and resumed commercial whaling in its territorial waters.

The phrase often appears in debates over cultural tradition versus marine conservation: Japanese whaling remains a flashpoint in international environmental politics.