Savouringthewhales Int

Savouring the whale selling whaleburgers.
Hakodate is one of
By Eric Johnston the most beautiful cities in Japan and has a
long association with whales – it was the
Foreign visitors to Japan can find a variety
port where Japanese whaleships used to
of sandwiches not available at most local
land their catches.
fast food restaurants back home, but
Lucky Pierrot, a restaurant chain based in Now the city is a popular destination for
the port of Hakodate, has decided to Japanese tourists wanting to escape the
increase its range of products. It is now sweltering summers in other parts of the
selling whaleburgers, burgers made with country. Shops across the harbour provide
whale meat. them with a range of seafood; huge frozen
whole salmon, live crabs and a package
The restaurant serves 16 different varieties
clearly labelled "whale bacon". Beside it
of hamburgers and 10 different kinds of
sits a small can of something called "red
curry and 12 different kinds of ice cream.
meat" in Japanese. When I ask him, a
Almost everyone in the shop, near the
fishmonger says it means whale.
waterfront in Hakodate, is around high
school or college age. It's nearly 3.30pm Traditionally, coastal cities in Japan have
and the friendly owner had told me the day been the main market for whale meat. But
before that, as only 20 whaleburgers a day many older Japanese living in the big
were available, they could be sold out by cities also have good memories of whale
the time I arrived. meat. Just after the Second World War,
there wasn’t much food and people were
I go to the counter and find that I'm in
starving to death in cities like Tokyo.
luck. After paying for the order and
Whale meat kept many people alive. In
receiving a ticket (number 97), I sit down
addition, whale oil was given to a
and wait for my number to come up.
generation of Japanese children as a
When the whaleburger arrives, it is deep
vitamin supplement.
fried and placed on a bun with lettuce and
mayonnaise. It is black and chewy. The It is this combination of postwar memories
cost is 380 yen ($3.35). I look around to and a desire to preserve the ancient
see if I am the only one eating a whale. It traditions of coastal whaling that is
seems that I am. making whale meat more popular. But
while Lucky Pierrot may be unique in
Selling whaleburgers was not originally
selling it in burger form, whale meat in
Lucky Pierrot's idea. Earlier this year the
Hakodate is quite common. The ninth day
restaurant sent out a survey asking
of each month is "Whale Day", when
customers what new foods they would like
shops and local restaurants offer
to see on the menu. The responses to the
reductions on their usual prices.
survey showed that most people wanted
"Ghengis Khan" burgers. In Japanese- Later I meet with Inge Arnold, a young
English, this means thin strips of Australian woman, and her friend
barbecued lamb, which is very popular in Takashige Arai at a local sushi restaurant.
the province of Hokkaido. The second Arnold, who worked briefly in the
most popular choice was whale. Hakodate fish market, doesn’t eat the
whale sushi we ordered. But Arai and I eat
Whaling has a long history in Japan, and
it. This whale meat is different from the
whale meat is easy to find in any port,
whaleburger. It is red, tender and juicy,
such as Hakodate, so it is perhaps not
and has a taste, we agree, that is
surprising that somebody would start
somewhere between tuna and mackerel.
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2005

Taken from the Magazine section in www.onestopenglish.com
Hakodate fish merchants know that the those killed for research in waters as far
killing of whales is unpopular in some away as Antarctica. The Japanese
parts of the world but they are confused government points out that the
and sometimes defensive, when they meet International Convention for the
protests by anti-whaling campaigners. Regulation of Whaling requires that the
After news of Lucky Pierrot's by-products of whale research be
whaleburgers spread, the restaurant's processed, and that selling whale meat
management received hundreds of angry fulfils the treaty obligation and helps to
letters and emails. "We're not unique. pay for the cost of the research.
Whale meat is widely available at many
However, not everyone likes the taste of
places in Japan," said Miku Oh, a
whale meat. After growing up on a diet of
spokesman for Lucky Pierrot.
fast food, not many young people seem to
Opinion polls show that the majority of like it. "Right now, I'd say most of my
the Japanese public are against a friends prefer other forms of seafood to
comprehensive whaling ban. A survey of whale. Especially here in Hakodate, where
5,000 people, conducted by the country's salmon and crab are so widely available,"
Fisheries Agency in 2001, found that only said Jun Matsuda, a college student from
22.6% of those asked were in favour of a Tokyo who was visiting with his friends.
complete whaling ban, while 39% were "Whale meat is what my parents ate when
against a ban. they were young, and they said it wasn't
very good. I've not seen the whaleburger,
In truth much of the meat available in
and I don't think I want one."
Hakodate, and Japan in general, is not
from whales found in local waters but The Guardian Weekly 22/7/2005, page 17
Decide whether the following statements are True or False according to the text:
1. The author enjoyed his whaleburger.

2. The author enjoyed his whale sushi.
3. Young Japanese do not like whale meat much.
4. Older Japanese have good memories of whale meat.
5. Most Japanese are in favour of a ban on hunting whales.
6. Selling whale meat is against the International Convention for the Regulation of
Whaling.
Look in the text and find the words or phrases that mean:
1. the opposite of tough or chewy 4. a place people travel to

2. full of juice 5. dying of hunger
3. easy to buy 6. people who protest against whale hunting
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2005

Taken from the Magazine section in www.onestopenglish.com

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Savouring the whale selling whaleburgers.

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2005

1. The author enjoyed his whaleburger.

1. the opposite of tough or chewy 4. a place people travel to

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2005

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