Two Historic Whaling Bases Collaborate to Preserve Culture and Cuisine

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In eastern Hokkaido, the cities of Kushiro and Abashiri share a lasting bond with whales. Kushiro faces the Pacific Ocean, while Abashiri looks out on the Sea of Okhotsk. Both have built rich traditions of whaling and whale cuisine.

Today, they remain bases for small-type coastal whaling. This is where local governments and private businesses collaborate through whale councils to keep the culture alive.

Kushiro’s story began during World War II, when it started coastal minke whaling as a way to ease food shortages.

In 1944 and again in 1951, major whaling companies established bases there, ushering in the era of full-scale operations. Sperm whales and sei whales were the primary catch.

For ten years from 1952 to 1961, Kushiro recorded the highest number of coastal whale catches in Japan. During this period, restaurants began serving whale sashimi, while school lunches featured whale curry. Whale cuisine became part of everyday life.

Large companies eventually withdrew, bringing Kushiro’s peak whaling years to a close. However, research whaling launched in 2002, giving the city a fresh start.

When Japan resumed commercial whaling in 2019, Kushiro hosted the ceremonial departure of coastal whalers and their first landings. It became a historic stage. Since then, small-type coastal whalers have operated off Kushiro from summer through autumn. In July 2022, for example, two minke whales were caught and landed in the city.

*Kimura Fish Shop. (©Suisan Keizai Daily News)*

A Key Ingredient for Local Izakaya

According to Koji Yamada, senior staff member at JF Kushiro Fisheries Cooperative, minke whales landed in Kushiro are processed and shipped to consumer markets nationwide. From there, the meat enters general distribution. In Kushiro, the meat's wide reach extends to supermarkets, fishmongers, and restaurants.

Kimura Fish Shop, located in the city’s Washo Market — a popular tourist spot — is renowned for handling whale meat. During the fishing season, it sells not only red meat but also belly meat, skin, and tongue. Store manager Katsuyuki Kobayashi emphasizes the importance of expert judgment.

“Whale meat quality varies depending on size and sex,” he says. “Information about each catch is crucial when buying.” His recommended cut is the rare tail meat, which he praises as “the most delicious food in the world.”

*Teiko Muraoka and her son Koya at Izakaya Waraku. (©Suisan Keizai Daily News)*

*Hatsu (heart) sashimi (front) and tatsuta-age at Izakaya Waraku. (©Suisan Keizai Daily News)*

Izakaya Waraku, in Kushiro’s entertainment district, is one of the few places serving whale dishes year-round, even outside fishing season. Owner Teiko Muraoka explains that she began handling whale meat through connections with processing facility workers who visited the restaurant. Since opening in 1996, she has consistently offered whale meat.

Her top recommendation is hatsu (heart) sashimi, served with sesame oil and salt. The menu also features red meat sashimi, vinegared tail fin with miso, and tatsuta-age (deep-fried meat). She now runs the restaurant with her son, Koya, the second generation. “Whale meat is an essential ingredient for our restaurant,” Teiko says. “We want to keep serving it well into the future.”

*Kushiro’s “Hometown School Lunch” features whale meat. (Courtesy of the Kushiro Whale Council via Suisan Keizai Daily News)*

Carrying Forward Through Education and Outreach

The Kushiro Whale Council — formed by the City of Kushiro, the Kushiro Fisheries Cooperative, and Kushiro Fish Market Company — leads wide-ranging efforts to promote whaling and whale cuisine. Since 2010, it has organized the annual Kushiro Whale Festival. During this time, restaurants across the city add whale dishes to their menus. In 2022, 35 establishments participated, offering diners a diverse taste of whale cuisine.

The council also supports a school lunch program that serves whale dishes in local elementary and junior high schools. Miso hot pot with minke whale meatballs, for example, was served at 41 schools, totaling about 11,200 meals in 2022 alone.

*Exhibit introduces Kushiro’s ties to whaling at Marine Topos Kushiro. (©Suisan Keizai Daily News)*

Looking ahead, Koji Yamada of the Kushiro Fisheries Cooperative stresses the need to “educate and reach out to the next generation.” He emphasizes that promoting whale meat also means communicating the sustainability of whale resources and their nutritional value.

Whaling On the Sea of Okhotsk

Abashiri looks out over the Sea of Okhotsk, carrying a whaling history of its own, one that dates back to 1915.

At its peak in the 1950s, seven whaling companies were based in the city, mainly targeting sei and humpback whales. After the commercial whaling moratorium took effect, small-scale operators kept the practice alive by catching Baird’s beaked whales, which were exempt from the ban.

Commercial whaling resumed in the Sea of Okhotsk in 2020. In 2021, 18 minke whales were landed and processed in Abashiri, followed by 25 in 2022. Today, the city has opened a new chapter as Japan’s northernmost commercial whaling base.

Fresh Whale Dishes Spark New Appreciation

The Abashiri Whale Council ー a partnership between the city and two small-scale whaling operators ー has been working since 1993 to preserve the history of whaling and keep whale cuisine alive.

A key part of its effort is providing whale meat in school lunches through special programs every year. In 2021, for example, about 200 kilograms of minke whale red meat ー enough for around 3,000 servings ー was delivered to 15 elementary and junior high schools across the city. The whale meat is usually prepared as deep-fried tatsuta-age, a dish enjoyed by both students and staff.

Some schools also pair the lunches with classroom lessons on whales. They teach students about whale ecology, the history of whaling, and share personal experiences from people in the industry.

*Assorted whale sashimi at Kihachi. (©Suisan Keizai Daily News)*

Abashiri’s long tradition of whale cuisine is carried on in its many restaurants that still serve whale dishes. Among them is Kihachi, an izakaya in the Abashiri entertainment district, which has featured whale on its menu for 30 years. Today, it continues to offer sashimi platters, bacon, and yukhoe made with whale.

Owner Hideyuki Suzuki notes, “Whale dishes are one of our specialties. Recently, younger tourists have been trying them with the same curiosity they bring to game meat.”

He adds that the resumption of commercial whaling ー which allows fresh minke whale meat to be served in season ー has “helped people rediscover the appeal of whale cuisine.” Looking ahead, he plans to continue offering whale as one of the signature flavors of the Okhotsk region.

*Monument commemorating the whaling vessel Daiichi Yasumaru. (©Suisan Keizai Daily News)*

Whaling Ship 'Daiichi Yasumaru'

On the banks of the Abashiri River, part of the former whaling ship Daiichi Yasumaru (45 tons) has been preserved as a monument. Built in Kyoto in 1966, the vessel began operating off Abashiri in 1973. It pursued whales for 14 years until the commercial whaling moratorium came into effect.

After retirement, it was placed along the riverbank, awaiting a return to service. But more than 30 years passed, and the ship gradually deteriorated. In 2018, it was dismantled, and the following year, only its harpoon gun, propeller, anchor, and steering wheel were preserved.

Today, these relics stand as enduring reminders of the vessel’s role in Abashiri’s whaling history, ensuring the story continues for generations to come.

(This report, also published on Whaling Today, is brought to you in cooperation with the Institute of Cetacean Research in Japan. A version of it was first published in Japanese in the Suisan Keizai Daily News on February 13, 2023. Let us hear your thoughts in our comments section.)