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Japanese Whaling: The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth

Greenpeace activists locked in handcuffs with a picture of a whale, protested outside the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong, China. The protesters expressed concerns over the illegal whaling by the Japanese in the Southern Ocean. Enlarge Image

Justice for whales, justice for Greenpeace

An ancient Japanese legend says that anyone who folds 1000 paper cranes will have their heart's desire come true. On 16 February, 1000 paper whales were delivered to the Japanese embassy in Stockholm with a message "Free Junichi and Toru".

From deliveries of origami whales in Sweden, to giant wooden handcuffs in Hong Kong and caged prisoners in Turkey, activists from around the world have been visiting Japanese embassies and consulates this week to call for justice as the Tokyo Two faced their first formal court hearing.

Greenpeace Japan Exective Director Jun Hoshikawa (3rd/R), Greenpeace Japan Fundraising Director Takumi Kobayashi (2nd/L), Greenpeace Japan Project Coordinator Malcolm Wren (2nd/R) are joined by Ohma fishing cooperative head Hirofumi Hamabata (L) and local farmer Shigenobu Araki in a celebratory ribbon cutting ceremony kicking off the opening of Greenpeace Japan's Aomori Communication Centre in Aomori, northern Japan. Enlarge Image

Taking the whaling debate to the Japanese people

We have officially opened a new Communications Centre in the northern fishing district of Aomori. As we mark 20 years of non-violent environmental campaigning in Japan this year, we're bringing our message of healthy oceans, whale protection, and sustainable fisheries direct to the people of this port city, along with information about our campaigns to prevent dangerous climate change and stop genetically modified food.

A "living statue" of Lady justice protests on behalf of Greenpeace in front of the Japanese embassy in The Hague, Netherlands, against the arrest of Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki. The two were arrested for exposing embezzlement of whale meat, while the crime they exposed goes unpunished. Enlarge Image

Arrest us. We're the Tokyo 2.9 Million

Representatives of millions of Greenpeace supporters from around the world arrived at the doorstep of the Japanese Prime Minister in Tokyo today to demand an end to the political persecution of two Greenpeace anti-whaling activists, and an end to Japan's whaling in the Southern Ocean. Embassy actions are scheduled around the world today and tomorrow.

Greenpeace challenges whaling in the Southern Ocean. Enlarge Image

Reports: Japanese government gives in, slashes whale quotas

Good news for the whales comes in threes. And then you get a dollop of extra. Asahi Shimbun, one of Japan's biggest newspapers, reports there will be a 20 percent reduction in the number of whales targeted in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary hunt this year -- the first reduction since 1987.

A Greenpeace inflatable boat tries to prevent Japanese whaling fleet's factory ship Nisshin Maru from refuelling from the supply vessel Oriental Bluebird in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Enlarge Image

Japan's whaling programme in disarray

As the whaling fleet prepares to depart Japan, evidence is mounting of an industry in crisis, as new revelations of financial and image problems add to the woes of the scandal-plagued industry.

The Yushin Maru catcher ship of the Japanese whaling fleet injures a whale with its first harpoon attempt, and takes a further three harpoon shots before finally killing the badly injured fleeing whale. Finally they drowned the mammal beneath the harpoon deck of the ship to kill it. Enlarge Image

Japanese whaling ship outlawed

Yet another nail has been put in the coffin of Japan's dying whaling industry. We've managed to get the Oriental Bluebird, re-supply and transport ship of Japan’s whaling fleet, de-flagged and fined, following a legal ruling by Panamanian authorities. We are now calling on Japan to scrap the illegal vessel together with the rest of the whaling fleet.

Can we trust the whalers when they say they're innocent? Enlarge Image

Whale meat scandal: Many questions

Why would we believe the whaling industry when it says it is innocent? The institutions behind the Japanese whaling operation have apparently now investigated themselves and cleared themselves of any wrongdoing over the whale meat embezzlement scandal exposed by Greenpeace in May.

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