Japan Has Stopped Whaling in Reaction to ICJ's Order

     International Court of Justice gave the order that Japan must stop whaling in Antarctica, from the case made by Australia that accused Japan of whaling. On April 3^rd, a few days after ICJ’s ruling, Japan has abandoned whaling program in this year. Prime Minister Abe declared that Japan would follow the court order.

     Japan has been whaling for “research purpose” in order to increase and to decrease of biological resources in Antarctica, and whaling for this purpose had been allowed from 1986 moratorium that has prohibited commercial whaling and has allowed whaling for research.

     The reason of Japan’s losing this suit is that, ICJ judged that Japan has been whaling for commercial purpose, since while Japan has been whaling for research of ecological system in Antarctica, killed whales has been frozen and delivered, and Japanese citizens eat them finally.

     In Japanese culture, people think that whale is food in cultural ways, while Western countries such as Australia think that whale is the higher animal and so that whales must not be killed. There is a significant cultural difference between West and Japan. Australia has gotten excited with Japanese losing suit, according to the report by Japanese newspaper.

     According to The Nikkei (one of Japanese newspapers), Japan had a choice not to follow the ICJ’s order that prohibited Japanese whaling. However, Japan has repeatedly appealed to South Korea that Japan would bring a suit into ICJ about the territorial right of Takeshima in Shimane prefecture (Dokdo in Korean name).

Moreover, New York Times claimed that Japan might have no choice to refuse the court at that time when Japan ask China to follow international legal law in the conflict over territorial right of Senkaku Island.

     Therefore, if Japan rejects to follow ICJ’s order, Japan will not be able to use ICJ as “trump card” to contend about Takeshima/Dokdo and Senkaku Island. That is why Prime Minister Abe declared that Japan would follow ICJ’s order, which is anguished decision.

     Japan’s action that stopped whaling from ICJ’s ruling has saved Japanese reputation from the countries against whaling such as Western countries, by not rejecting ICJ’s decision. Japanese diplomacy toward the world, especially countries that belong to Western culture, was kept as credible due to this Japanese wrenching decision in order to be predominant in the territorial conflicts with China and South Korea.

     Losing suit was big anguished outcome, but this will somehow affect Japanese diplomacy and also public diplomacy between East Asian countries in the future. Japan chose to protect reputation and the territorial right in East Asia rather than whaling.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/04/world/asia/japan-cancels-whale-hunt-off-antarctica-after-ruling.html?ref=japan

http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASFK0302Q_U4A400C1000000/ (Written in Japanese)