Japan launches whale meat vending machines to boost sales

After struggling for years to promote its controversial products, a Japanese whaling operator found a new way to win over customers and increase sales: whale meat vending machines.

The Kujira (Whale) Shop, a staffless shop recently opened in Yokohama, houses three machines for sashimi, bacon, skin and steak, all cuts of whale meat. Canned whale meat can also be purchased at prices from 1,000 yen (USD7.70) to 3,000 yen (USD23).

There are three vending machines already launched by this store in the region of the Japanese capital. A room is scheduled to open in Osaka next month.

Whale meat has long been a source of controversy, but sales in the new vending machines are off to a good start. Anti-whaling protests have subsided since Japan ended its much-criticized Antarctic research hunts and resumed commercial whaling off the Japanese coast.

Kyodo Senpaku hopes to launch more vending machines at 100 locations across the country in the coming years.

The idea is to open vending machines near supermarkets, where whale meat is not usually sold, to promote it and create demand, which is a crucial task for the industry’s survival.

Supermarkets have stayed away from whale meat to avoid protests by anti-whaling groups. They remain cautious even though harassment of activists has decreased in recent years.

Many consumers who want to eat it can’t find or buy whale meat, so this company has launched these machines to satisfy customers.

The company says sales at the two outlets in Tokyo have been significantly higher than expected, keeping staff busy replenishing products.

People who want to eat whale meat say they are aware of the whaling controversy, but it brings back childhood memories of eating it at family dinners and school lunches.

Whale meat was a convenient source of protein during Japan’s malnourished years after World War II, with annual consumption peaking at 233,000 tons in 1962.

“People believe that it is not good to wantonly kill whales, but whale meat is part of Japanese food culture and you can respect the life of whales by appreciating their meat.

The meat comes mainly from whales caught off the northeast coast of Japan.

Japan resumed commercial whaling in July 2019 after withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission. In this way, he ended 30 years of what he called research whaling , which had been heavily criticized by conservationists as a cover for commercial whaling banned by the IWC in 1988.

Under its commercial whaling in Japan’s exclusive economic zone , Japan last year caught 270 whales, less than 80% of the quota and fewer than the number it once caught in the Antarctic and Pacific Northwest in its whaling program. investigation.

Many conservation groups condemn the resumption of commercial whaling as they say whale meat is no longer part of the daily diet in Japan, especially for the younger generation.

Whaling is losing support in other whaling nations such as Iceland, where catches have declined in recent years amid criticism that commercial whaling is damaging its national image and tourism.

The whales may also be moving away from Japan’s coasts due to a shortage of saury, a staple in their diet, and other fish possibly due to the impact of climate change.

Conservative ruling lawmakers strongly support commercial whaling and the consumption of their meat as part of Japan’s cultural tradition.

Whaling officials attributed the decline in supply in the past three years to a lack of imports due to the pandemic, and plan to nearly double this year’s supply with imports of more than 2,500 tonnes from Iceland.

With extremely limited supply, whale meat processing cannot be a viable business and may not last for generations to come.

Yuki Okoshi, who began serving whale meat dishes at his Japanese-style seafood restaurant three years ago when higher-quality whale meat became available under commercial whaling, says “the future of the whale industry Whales depends on whether customers need us and maybe restaurants like us, which are closest to consumers, have the key to survival.”

“Whaling may be a political issue, but the relationship between the restaurant and our customers is very simple,” Okoshi said. “We serve good food at reasonable prices and customers are happy. That’s it, whale meat is just another meat in people’s diets”