kujira

The first taste of whale. An oily meat. Darker than expected and with little flavor other than a slight tang and chewy texture.

The southernmost prefecture of Shikoku, Kochi, is a hot spot for whale culture. In saying, "whale culture," it is a bit ambiguous, because it is an amalgam of cuisine and cuteness. There are whale icons everywhere and many boat tours take tourists out for whale watching excursions. However, whale is also featured on almost every menu in the city. Is this a sad game of sadistic irony Japan is playing on these massive mammals of the ocean deep? Or is it such a strong bond that every essence of the whale needs to be loved. Of course, the rest of the world would disagree with the latter. But, the Japanese feature whale like an exoticism of a culture past that shouldn't be sent to sea.