Kudos to Nigel Barker for his brutally honest photos, and to Boyd Harnell for his equally succinct commentary, for the Sept. 19 article "Tokyo sanctions an extended cull of Taiji dolphins." As a former resident of Japan, I know that in some corners there are those who not only will never see the cruelty of the Taiji cull, but also may even feel more resistant to change due to pressure from nosy foreigners.
But having spent the last 10 years in eco-tourism, specifically dolphin-watching, I know there are many thousands of Japanese who find the practice as abhorrent as the rest of us do. Every year I have the good fortune to talk to hundreds of Japanese tourists who are aware of the issues, yet are reluctant to speak up at home. Why does this shouganai attitude still exist? Change has to come from both within and without.
Where is the reaction from all the people who go abroad and marvel at the cute/clever/wonderful (choose your adjective) animals they see and admire? It's time to speak up and show some respect for life rather than the butchers' sensitivities.
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