From an NHK documentary that contains a description of a temple in Japan that has honored the souls of dead whales by giving them posthumous Buddhist names and entering them into a registry
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My neighbor is a lovely old lady who sweeps the streets every morning and greets the kids on their way to school. We chat from time to time. The subject of whales came up and she looked at straight at me and said 'Whales are the cockroaches of the sea. we must exterminate them all'
I had no answer to that. Where on earth do they get these ideas?
New Japan whale cuisine aims to whet appetite for sea mammals
As the International Whaling Commission started its annual meeting in Portugal Monday, a group of bars and restaurants near Tokyo have sought to lure patrons with an exotic new spread of whale dishes.
On the menu, alongside local staples such as whale sashimi, were new creations including whale spring rolls, whale bacon and even an Italian cheese whale cutlet -- all served with a dollop of local whaling history.
"Whale meat is a very important part of Japanese tradition," said Masanobu Tai, the restaurateur leading the promotional drive in the Noge district of the port city of Yokohama, an area of narrow lanes filled with bars and eateries.
"If whaling is not done to excess, I think this is a great thing... Whale meat is delicious, high in protein, low in fat," he added as staff in his pork cutlet restaurant dished up a new treat, whale dumplings.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gV-Q1vxNZmPbHYYmMTNWccJqfO0w
