ABSTRACT
This whaling culture is, of course, not static, but continuously in the making. Japanese whaling culture has faced many challenges in the past, and it has survived, albeit in changing forms, only by making certain necessary adjustments. In recent years Japanese whaling has again faced a challenge of great magnitude-a challenge which strikes at the very heart of whaling itself: the moratorium on commercial whaling forced upon Japan by western powers. Is this the ultimate challenge which will put an end to a centurieslong tradition?
