Robert Besser
01 Feb 2023, 16:59 GMT+10
TOKYO, Japan: After struggling for years to promote its products amid protests from conservationists, Japanese whaling company Kyodo Senpaku announced that it will offer the public whale meat vending machines to boost sales and attract new customers.
As part of the company's drive, an unmanned outlet of Kujira (Whale) Store that recently opened in Yokohama houses three machines selling whale sashimi, whale bacon, whale skin and whale steaks, as well as canned whale meat, with prices ranging from $7.70 to $23.
The outlet features white vending machines decorated with cartoon whales and is the third location to offer vending machines in the Japanese capital region, after two others opened in Tokyo earlier this year.
While whale meat has long caused controversy, Kyodo Senpaku said that sales in the new vending machines have so far been good.
Due to anti-whaling protests, Japan, in 2019, ended its much-criticized research hunts in the Antarctic, but the controversy has subsided and has resumed commercial whaling off the Japanese coasts.
Conservationists stressed that they are concerned that the move could expand whaling.
Nanami Kurasawa, head of the Iruka & Kujira (Dolphin & Whale) Action Network, said, "The issue is not the vending machines themselves, but what they may lead to," as quoted by the Associated Press.
Kyodo Senpaku is already asking for additional catches to expand whaling outside of designated waters, he added.
Company spokesperson Konomu Kubo told The Associated Press that it aims to set up vending machines at 100 locations around Japan within five years, and a fourth site is to open in Osaka next month.
To cultivate demand, the company will open vending machines near supermarkets, where whale meat is usually unavailable, he added, noting that major supermarket chains have largely stayed away from whale meat to avoid protests by anti-whaling groups.
"As a result, many consumers who want to eat it cannot find or buy whale meat. We launched vending machines at unmanned stores for those people," he said, as reported by the Associated Press.
Get a daily dose of Cleveland Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Cleveland Star.
More InformationNEW YORK: This week, a New York judge approved legal settlements to end lawsuits that halted the state's legal cannabis ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks spent most of Tuesday meandering, with the major indices closing out the day ...
DEARBORN, Michigan: This week, Ford said a six-week United Auto Workers (UAW) strike cut its sales by some 100,000 vehicles ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: This week, the Biden administration adopted a new rule aimed at reducing methane emissions, which targets the role ...
AUSTIN, Texas: During an event held this week in Austin, Texas, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the electric vehicle (EV) ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks closed mixed on Monday following on from last week's volatility."Digestion is the word ...
ARLINGTON, Virginia: This week, the conservative U.S. political network Americans for Prosperity Action (AFP Action), led by billionaire Charles Koch, ...
(Photo credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports) Drew Doughty scored 33 seconds into overtime as the Los Angeles Kings scored four ...
(Photo credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports) Nebraska will strive to bounce back from its first loss of the season when ...
(Photo credit: Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK) Frida Formann hit seven 3-pointers, six in the first half, to ...
(Photo credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports) The Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors have an opportunity to get ...
(Photo credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports) Drew Doughty scored 33 seconds into overtime as the Los Angeles Kings scored four ...