Invoking its long history with whales, the port city Hachinohe plans to reintroduce commercial whaling after Japan’s withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission in 2019. However, a century earlier, in 1911, industrial whaling had caused widespread environmental pollution in Hachinohe, leading to the largest Japanese anti-whaling protests and the destruction of the local whaling station. This troubled past challenges the official narrative of the current city government and also affects its decision making.
