“最高峰”ナガスクジラの生肉、800グラム８万88円で落札　商業捕鯨再開後初めて店頭に「くじら汁」「クジラ給食」貴重な資源と食文化を守る取り組み

Fresh, marbled whale meat. This is "raw fin whale meat" that was just landed in Ishikari, Hokkaido, on December 11th. Reporter Junichiro Kinoshita "I went to a supermarket in Nishi Ward. They just started selling fin whale sashimi a little while ago, just after 1 PM. It's only 754 yen per 100 grams." A supermarket in Nishi Ward, Sapporo, on the afternoon of the 12th. This is the first time "raw fin whale meat" has been available on store shelves since commercial whaling resumed five years ago. Store clerk: "(Tasting) Have some!" Female customer in her 60s: "(The last time I had it) was about 50 years ago! (Tasting) Oh, wait a minute." Male customer in his 70s: "Oh, it's delicious!" Female customer in his 60s: "It's delicious!" Male customer in his 70s: "Mink is tasty, but fin whale is exceptional." However, whale meat consumption has fallen to less than 1% of its peak. Let's go for another whale hunt to see if we can preserve our whale culinary culture. Announcer Daiki Horiuchi "The Japanese-built whaling mother ship Kangeimaru, which began operations this year, has just arrived in Hokkaido for the first time." The Kangeimaru, which arrived on the 11th, is a state-of-the-art whaling mother ship capable of carrying out everything from whale butchering to freezing on board. Having caught a fin whale off the coast of Nemuro on the 6th, the ship came here to specially land the catch fresh, rather than frozen. How does this precious fresh fin whale meat taste? Announcer Daiki Horiuchi "This is the rare "tail meat," or tail fin meat. It's delicious. It's so tender it melts without even chewing." This tail meat, commonly known as "tail meat," was sold at the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market on the morning of the 12th for 80,088 yen, for 800 grams. Hideki Tokoro, President of Kyodo Senpaku, a whaling company "I hope that the people of Hokkaido, especially Sapporo, will fully understand the deliciousness of whale and stimulate demand for it." Whale fishing has been a traditional practice in Japan. In Hokkaido, whale meat was a valuable source of protein during postwar food shortages and was a standard side dish in school lunches. However, domestic whale consumption has declined since peaking at 233,000 tons in 1962. Faced by international efforts to ban whaling, Japan suspended commercial whaling in 1988. Even after resuming commercial whaling five years ago, consumption has remained sluggish, reaching just 2,000 tons in 2022. Amidst this slump in whale meat consumption, this traditional Japanese cafe in Hakodate serves whale soup, a New Year's tradition still enjoyed in southern Hokkaido. Reporter Tadashi Fujita "Ah, the whale's fat and flavor seep into the broth. It's delicious. It's so warming." Whale soup is made with salted whale fat, which is whale skin and preserved in salt, and is also topped with plenty of root and wild vegetables. Tourist from Kanagawa "I really love the texture of this whale." Whale cuisine is deeply rooted in the local area. Manager Akatsuka says he wants to preserve this important food culture. Hakodate Sakuraya Manager Izumi Akatsuka "There are so many other delicious options out there, and it's so time-consuming to make. I feel like more and more households are gradually giving up on whale meat. Since our restaurant is located on a busy tourist street, I hope it will become a local dish that people will be surprised by and spread even further." By 2022, annual whale meat consumption will be 2,000 tons, or 17 grams per person per year, meaning that whale meat is barely eaten in the amount of sashimi. How can we preserve this food culture? Initiatives like these are being undertaken in Hokkaido. Abashiri: "Whale Lunches" at Elementary and Junior High Schools This initiative aims to raise awareness of whale food culture, and the 2024 menu item is "Tatsuta-age Whale." Kushiro: "Whale Festival" In 2024, 37 restaurants served whale dishes and encouraged increased whale consumption. Considering concerns that whaling will continue in this way, we are taking measures to address this. The Fisheries Agency has set the annual whaling limit at 439 whales, which is approximately 0.4% of the estimated population. We hope to preserve this precious resource and food culture. Updated Thursday, December 12, 2024, 9:06 PM #Hokkaido #News #HBC ◆Please subscribe to the HBC News channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCTp