04:14Japan: Whale meat vending machines launched in Yokohama in bid to revive sales
A Japanese whaling company has launched its first vending machines, supplying whale meat products like sashimi and steaks, as seen in Yokohama on Tuesday.
“In the future, we would like to open about 100 such unmanned stores. Our goal is to have 100 (vending machine) stores in about five years," said Kubo, PR officer for Kyodo Senpaku.
The company plans to opened four more machines in Tokyo by next month, with others in Umeda and Osaka.
“I think it's a good thing that it fits the times we live in. I think it's groundbreaking because it can be easily available for everyone to buy," commented one customer.
Prices range from 1,000-3,000 yen (7-21 euros).
Whale meat has fallen out of favour in recent years, with many supermarkets refusing to stock it due to pressure from anti-whaling groups. Around 1,000 tonnes was consumed in the country in 2021, down from a peak of over 200,000 tonnes in the 1960s.
While the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in the 1980s, Japan continued to hunt them for research purposes and restarted its commercial industry in 2019.
04:14A Japanese whaling company has launched its first vending machines, supplying whale meat products like sashimi and steaks, as seen in Yokohama on Tuesday.
“In the future, we would like to open about 100 such unmanned stores. Our goal is to have 100 (vending machine) stores in about five years," said Kubo, PR officer for Kyodo Senpaku.
The company plans to opened four more machines in Tokyo by next month, with others in Umeda and Osaka.
“I think it's a good thing that it fits the times we live in. I think it's groundbreaking because it can be easily available for everyone to buy," commented one customer.
Prices range from 1,000-3,000 yen (7-21 euros).
Whale meat has fallen out of favour in recent years, with many supermarkets refusing to stock it due to pressure from anti-whaling groups. Around 1,000 tonnes was consumed in the country in 2021, down from a peak of over 200,000 tonnes in the 1960s.
While the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in the 1980s, Japan continued to hunt them for research purposes and restarted its commercial industry in 2019.