Hello, i was thinking about going to Japan on my next part of this trip however I'm concerned that that is there they do the dolphin slaughtering. i am the type of traveller who likes to get involved with the culture so if it is in Japan, wouldn't be able to ignore that its happening. has anyone else seen this or knows more anout it?
Thanks Jan
Do you think that dolphin slaughtering is a major factor in Japanese culture?
What is your home country?
Cheers,
Terry
You don't have to ignore that it is happening, but if these types of things would prevent someone from travelling there, we could all stay at home.
Even more so, it would be better travelling to countries like that, so that possible international attention is drawn to certain negative things. Ignoring and not travelling there wouldn't change a thing over there, and many people in a country who make a living in the tourism industry see their income going down.
I went to the Faroer Islands several years ago and I knew things like in Japan are going on there too, but it's just part of their culture sometimes as well, no matter how much you disagree with it. The funny thing over there was that some locals (mainly in Torshavn, the capital) are downright paranoid about outsiders telling them what to do or what not to do. We were in a bar and people took photos of us (friend of mine me and a French traveller) just to have our pics in case we were a spy...! I kid you not, it was creepy and humorous as well, not to mention sad!
Bottom line: travel with a positive view and don't ignore the negative things, but just know they are there.
Hi guys, thanks for the comments. your right, i don't think its all Japanese people doing this however, i think the way that I'm feeling at the moment is that i don't want to support an economy where the leaders of the country are standing by and letting dolphins be slaughtered every day in great numbers.
Hello
There is a DVD I watched about this.
The film is well worth watching but I would not & did not stop going to Japan because of it.
I also got attacked on the street in Japan but would still go back.
If I let things like that affect me, I would not leave the house & maybe, more accidents happen in the house than anywhere else, so where does that leave me?
Steve
Hi Steve, thanks for your comment, although I think you have misread or misunderstood me. I have no fear whatsoever about visiting Japan. I have also done my fair share of travelling in the last 7 years and have also had similar encounters with dangerous people/situations but it has never put me off a country as a whole. I definitely would not place Japan as a dangerous country (I am very sorry that you got attacked though).
I was simply saying that with such a disgusting thing happening in Taiji regarding the dolphin torture, I would find it very difficult to have an amazing trip to Japan knowing this is happening around the corner, and here I am boosting the economy when the political leaders don’t give a damn about it. I suppose I am just being conscious of my actions.
It would be beneficial to go and see with my own eyes what is actually going on in Taiji, (there is a live feed on the internet every day showing and reporting on what is happening hour by hour and it is just awful) and to report to people back home and around the world. How could I justify anything else?
The reason I go to countries is to see the good with the bad, see the country and the culture for what it is, however, this time the bad is VERY BAD and it’s something that touches my heart and therefore I fear that I would not be able to enjoy the good things that might be happening over there, of which I am sure there is many.
There is a dark cloud over Taiji and unfortunately it’s covering the rest of Japan too.
Yeah, just like travelling anywhere in Australia while sharks are culled by one state government.
Or travelling anywhere in Australia while a marine park authority approves the dumping of dredge spoil in a protected area.
Not that these situations are in anyway this simple but it appears to be selective activism in singling out one country and one issue.
Many countries contain minority decision makers but these events/practices/decisions do not represent the whole country. Nor is it indicative that citizens of the country are not fighting the very same thing.
.......although I think you have misread or misunderstood me. .......
I only added the comment about being attacked as a being another possible reason for not going to a country.
But, you are correct, I did misunderstand you.
I took you to be saying that because you knew little about the Dolphin slaughter or where it was happening, you wanted to avoid Japan if that was the country involved.
Since you do know quite a lot, I guess you will be skipping Japan, as is your prerogative.
What countries have you been to & what ones have you boycotted & for what reasons?
Will you be answering Terry's question -
"What is your home country?" ?
No doubt some people would have issues with going there as well.
Steve
Thanks Kellie, I can see what you’re getting at. But as I mentioned in the above post the dolphin situation in Japan “has really touched my heart”. That does not mean that I don’t give a damn about the culling of sharks in Australia etc, it just means that this particular case resonates with me more…it might be the brutality of it all, I don’t know, but it just does.
Don’t get me wrong, I do not think that all Japanese people like brutally capturing dolphins and killing the ones that are considered too ugly for public entertainment whilst the captured dolphins watch their families being killed in very cruel ways. In fact I am certain that most Japanese think it’s wrong.
What do you do when something like this resonates with you so much? Do you do something about it or do you just say “yer, it’s awful, but anyway should be a nice holiday though”? I see myself as actively doing something about the situation (in my own small way….for now, although now I am currently looking into doing more), so I suppose you would call it selective activism.
Maybe if the culling of the sharks resonates with you, you could write to Governor of Western Australia or Tony Abbot or someone, whoever, and tell them this year our family will definitely not be visiting Western Australia for holiday purposes, despite the beaches being so nice etc because of the disgrace that is happening off shore to sharks?
Steve, I am sorry if I have offended you, it was not my intention.
Since writing my first post I feel as though I have opened up can of worms: 1) I have found some more information on the situation that terrifies me to my very core 2) and I seemed to have touched nerves of fellow travellers, which also was not my intention.
I am from the UK, sorry I didn’t mention this before. The government here is corrupt, there are some places and people that you might want to avoid, we have overfished, fox hunting (not so long ago), they are on about (if not, in the process) of culling badgers – an awesome British animal with probably non-sufficient evidence of them carrying TB, and loads of other stuff that would make your skin crawl probably. I implore anyone to boycott the UK if they desire, for just or unjust reasons…it’s 100% your choice. This might affect the UK’s tourism but it’s your right as a choice maker.
To answer the other question: I actually haven’t boycotted any other countries or Japan as yet.
Bit of a hot potato this one!
It's difficult to know what to do for the best and if we all boycotted countries where horrible actions took place the world's international airlines would probably be out of business. Although the Japanese government does support this slaughtering of whales in its own backyard, and also supports the hunting of whales across the world (recently in New Zealand waters), it doesn't necessarily mean the majority of its population does. And, as you mention, there are plenty of other countries guilty of something (including the UK, New Zealand, Australia, China, USA and probably most others too).
These things are only likely to stop if enough people protest against them but that's usually the domestic population at the ballot box (although international pressure can be effective). Unfortunately, my morals are all too easily overcome by my desire to travel - it's China in July!
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