Environmental organization Greenpeace has pushed the Japanese Government and Japanese whaling interests reluctantly into the local media spotlight with new revelations about corruption in the whaling industry.
Acting on a tip-off from a former whaling ship employee, members of Greenpeace Japan convened a media conference in May 2008 to reveal a large package of whale meat that had been illegally shipped from the whaling factory ship, Nisshin Maru, to a private residence shortly after the whaling fleet returned from its 2008 scientific whaling voyage. The meat and details of its discovery were then provided to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors' Office. The Office promptly announced an investigation.
Five days later, Greenpeace activists Toru Suzuki, 41 and Junichi Sato, 31 were arrested and Japanese police raided Greenpeace Japan Headquarters.
Suzuki and Sato were detained for 26 days before being released on bail under strict conditions forbidding contact with other members of Greenpeace.
The “Tokyo Two”, as they have become known, are expected to face court early this year. In the meantime it appears that the Public Prosecutor in Tokyo has dropped the investigation into the smuggling of the whale meat, which is rumoured to have been widespread and well organised.
