A new line of whale meat vending machines was launched in Japan this week.
Kyodo Senpaku Co., a Japanese whaling operator, unveiled them in the port city of Yokohama, about 20 miles from the capital Tokyo.
This is the third vending outlet the company has installed to encourage sales after years of struggling to promote its products due to protests from whale advocates.
A new line of whale meat vending machines was launched in Japan this week. KWIYEON HA
The vending machine offers delicacies such as whale sashimi, whale blubber, whale skin and whale steak, as well as canned whale meat. KWIYEON HA
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In 2018, Japan resumed commercial whaling off its coasts. AP
Kyodo Senpaku introduced three machines in the new space dubbed The Kujira Store. AP
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In 2018, Japan ended hunting the animal in Antarctica and resumed commercial whaling off its coasts. That stopped the protesters, but the groups are still opposed to the new machines.
“The problem isn’t with the vending machines themselves, but what they can lead to,” said Nanami Kurasawa, director of the Iruka & Kujira, or Dolphin & Whale, action network.
Kyodo Senpaku has introduced three machines in the new store called The Kujira Store, which sells delicacies such as whale sashimi, whale bacon, whale skin and whale steak, and canned whale meat.
Prices range from $7.70 to $23.
The company plans to install vending machines at 100 locations across the country in five years, spokesman Konomu Kubo said.
With post wires