Whaling on stage: a comparison of contemporary Japanese whale festivals

Conservative Japanese politicians, academics, and journalists regularly state that whaling is an essential part of their national heritage, expressed in material culture, folk songs, ritual practices, festivals. Japan has several whale festivals (kujira matsuri): playful events at which participants re-enact Edo-period (1600–1868) coastal practices perform whaling-related songs dances. This article compares the Taiji (Wakayama), Kayoi (Yamaguchi), Shinkami-gotō (Nagasaki), Ayukawa (Miyagi). It argues these not only have economic social significance for communities question; they also support notion as a traditional nation. By organising participating festivals, local priests, volunteers, audiences enact this imagined thus supporting agenda present-day industry. However, actors own motivations interests, fact celebration heritage contingent upon continuation today.