Few in Japan clamoring for whale meat

OFF OKINAWA, Japan — Hiroshi Kobayashi has been hunting whales for three years now. He knows just where to look, and he boasts that, in season, he has a close-to-perfect record of finding them. But he's never killed one — he captains a whale-watching boat for tourists. And he thinks whaling is, or should be, a thing of the past. "They used to whale here in Okinawa," he said after taking out a group to see humpback whales migrating through the waters near this southern Japanese island. "It wasn't a problem because there were more whales then. But I really can't support killing them now." Despite worldwide opposition, the Japanese government is battling to keep the nation's whaling fleet afloat. Now, it also faces a threat at home — a lack of interest among young people who grew up during an international whaling ban, have never eaten whale and see the mammals more as impressive living creatures than as a potential meal.Full story at