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Paper short abstract

Japan is one of the few countries where whale watching coexists with commercial whaling. Since 2019, whaling shifted to Japan’s EEZ, giving rise to competing interests with whale-watching operators. This study explores how they frame sustainability and position themselves in relation to whaling.

Paper long abstract

Japan is one of the few countries where whale watching coexists with commercial whaling. While the Japanese government has long defended whaling within the International Whaling Commission (IWC), whale watching has developed into an established industry in many coastal towns since the 1980s. This coexistence became more complex in 2019, when all whaling operations by Japanese vessels shifted to the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This study is guided by the hypothesis that the shift has intensified tensions between the older whaling sector and the growing whale-watching industry and that competition is not only economic—between hunting whales and maximizing viewing opportunities—but also increasingly framed through sustainability discourse. The paper addresses the following key questions: How does the whale-watching sector present itself in external communications? In what context is sustainability discussed? How does the industry position itself in relation to whaling and its advocates? And finally, how do company backgrounds—as former whalers, fisheries or tourism ventures—potentially shape their identity and stance towards the two industries, whale watching and whaling? The paper traces the historical development of whale watching in Japan and examines the evolution of sustainability practices within the sector. The analysis draws on content analysis of Japanese print media and the websites of individual operators and regional organizations. The focus is on operators in coastal towns where whale watching is economically significant. The Japanese case offers insights relevant to other coastal regions facing similar tensions between tourism, whaling, and sustainability. Further, it contributes to the broader discussion about how sustainability is understood and interpreted across contexts and cultures.