Prefecture has designated this ‘Whale Dance’ as an intangible cultural heritage.
11 All
over the community, references to whales and whaling can be found. While some are
of a rather recent origin—arguably put in place to substantiate Taiji’s cultural
whaling history—some are much older. For example, a rock engraving on the
rocky shores of Taiji which refers to a man’s responsibility for whaling boats is
several hundred years old (Fig. 3.2).
Taiji is, naturally, not the only place in Japan where these relics can be found. All
over the country, apart from intangible relics such as songs or dances, also
monuments, shrines, temples and graves still exist, which are related in one way
or another to whales and whaling. The commercial aspect, however, is a different
matter and here, it is my belief, lies the crux of the issue. While whale and whaling
relics are spread all over the country, Itoh’s study also shows that one needs to
actively look for them. From my own experience, the same can be said about whale
meat: while it can be obtained in many places, one does indeed need to actively look
Fig. 3.2 Taiji rock engraving # Nikolas Sellheim
11 Anon (2015).
3.2 Marine Mammals and Human Societies
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