The Institute of Cetacean Research said Thursday it will sell some 400 tons of whale meat in Japan's wholesale markets from Friday to Feb. 25.
The meat was obtained from summer research whaling, a practice accused by many foreign countries and conservationists of being commercial whaling in disguise.
The sale of the whale meat is an annual event that began after Japan launched its research whaling program in 1987, based on an International Whaling Commission rule.