【Kunihiko Hisa's Manga Anything Theater (Special Edition)】What is Awe...?

2024/09/13

Image: Whaling Mothership Kangei Maru

Japanese people love Mt. Fuji. Even in regions without Mt. Fuji, if there is a mountain with a similar solitary peak, they name it "Local Fuji" and love and revere it. Most are volcanic mountains, and people seem to be drawn to their natural power and form.

It is not just mountains. Cliffs with developed columnar joints, limestone caves eroded into stalactites, and landscapes of bizarre rock formations. Waterfalls created by large-scale faults and coastal rocks eroded by waves—all are landscapes crafted by energy and time far beyond human power. Whether they become sacred sites or tourist destinations, they are sights that people admire and cherish. I was surprised by the recent news in Kunitachi City about the demolition of a nearly completed apartment building because it obstructed the view of Mt. Fuji, but that is likely the kind of power Mt. Fuji possesses.

Places where breathtaking scenery attracts people are designated as national parks and cherished as common social assets. They are likely recognized as common social assets because we feel a sense of awe not just for the scenery itself, but for the very activity of the Earth that produced that scenery.

This is not unique to Japan. Wonderful natural processes exist all over the world, attracting people. From rugged terrain carved by glaciers and raw active volcanoes born from plate rifts to harsh deserts and vast green plains, these sights pique human curiosity and draw tourists. I have been fortunate enough to see many such spectacular views around the world, and I truly felt a sense of awe at the Earth's processes and the flow of time, which are beyond human reach.

I was also overwhelmed by the sight of the savannah in East Africa. The savannah, which spreads across both sides of the Great Rift Valley—often called the crack in the earth—is also the birthplace of humanity.

Millions of years ago, human ancestors who branched off from forest apes acquired everything necessary for modern humans within the environment of the savannah. Living alongside elephants, hippos, and rhinos, fearing lions and leopards, and enduring climate changes, they eventually expanded from Africa to the entire globe. What I deeply reflect upon in such a savannah is not only the wonderful, energetic scenery of nature, but also the diversity and depth of life that nature has nurtured. It is the very process of life itself, starting from single-celled organisms and surviving through the Earth's ever-changing environment over billions of years, diversifying to fit the environment and creating the fauna we see today.

Today, the largest animal on land is likely the African elephant. Just seeing such a massive body living before your eyes is moving. It is that same feeling that makes one instinctively bow in prayer toward Mt. Fuji.

In the savannah, I encounter a herd of African elephants. Calves frolic with their mothers or get scolded while grazing, searching for water, and resting in safe places. They have connected the thread of life this way for hundreds and thousands of years. Large animals take time to grow and have long gestation periods. They also require a lot of food. For such a herd of elephants to survive, an environment capable of sustaining them must persist for a long time. Adult elephants are powerful, but as calves, they fall prey to lions and hyenas. They need the power to protect themselves. If herbivores show a moment of weakness, they can become a meal for lions or leopards in an instant. Carnivores are also destined to sustain themselves and leave descendants. Standing in the savannah, it is clear that the natural ecosystem is formed by the delicate balance of plant growth, the fluctuations of herbivores, and the fluctuations of carnivores. A lion's fangs, an elephant's massive body, and the horns of antelopes have all evolved for that purpose.

It is humanity that has disrupted that balance. With tools like guns and cars, which are separate from the slow evolution of living things, humans can take down even elephants or lions. Through the cultivation of plants, humans fence off areas solely for themselves, preventing other animals from using them. We have begun to overturn the very foundations of the ecosystem's mechanisms. Humans who feel awe when looking at an elephant lose sight of that awe the moment they put on the spectacles of economics.

This is also prominent in the ocean. The vast ocean is the cradle of life and has formed a unique ecosystem. For a long time, it could be said that human involvement in the marine ecosystem was limited to the coasts. That has changed completely in the modern ocean. Large ships go anywhere in the world's seas. Fish finders allow for a complete grasp of fish schools. GPS enables ships to track fish schools with precise positioning relative to one another. Trawling scrapes the seabed bare, and despite various treaties, it is effectively a free-for-all, with reach extending even into the deep sea, which was previously inaccessible.

Whales are the giant animals that can be called the top of such a marine ecosystem. Their massive bodies, exceeding 30 meters, represent a size that could be called the pinnacle of biological evolution. Unconstrained by gravity on land, they are of a size that even the dinosaurs of the past could not match. They are creatures whose very existence is worthy of awe. Yet, there are people who refuse to see them through anything but the spectacles of economics. Even though whales represent the Earth's oceans, traveling the world's seas for decades to grow into their massive forms.

Let's list the words often spoken by those in favor of whaling: "Whale is a traditional Japanese food; it is a food culture," or "Whales are not currently being caught, so they have increased too much and are putting pressure on fishery resources." These are all lies. Coastal whaling, which was widely practiced in Japan and the South Sea Islands, was a harpoon fishery powered by human strength, and the species and numbers caught were limited. It was only after the start of modern whaling that Japanese people began eating whale in earnest; specifically, during the post-war food shortages, large-scale whaling in the Antarctic Ocean had a track record of feeding the nation. During that era, through mass whaling by various countries—often called the Whaling Olympics—large whales such as the blue whale were pushed to the brink of extinction.

As the stable supply of meat such as chicken, pork, and beef began domestically, and large-scale imports of beef from overseas started, the distribution of whale meat itself weakened. Combined with global public opinion against whaling, Japan had accepted the ban on whaling. However, in 2019, Japan withdrew from the IWC (International Whaling Commission) and resumed commercial whaling targeting large cetaceans. And this year, the government set a policy to include "fin whales" as a target for capture.

I wish people would stop the lie that whales from the Antarctic Ocean are a traditional food. Furthermore, the claim that whales eat the fish meant for humans is the exact opposite; it is humans who scrape up the fish, squid, and krill that are supposed to sustain the whales. In the midst of this, I wonder if Japan, having started operating a large whaling mothership, will be laughed at by the world. I want people to take off the spectacles of economics and vested interests and have a sense of awe for the whale, the king of the sea.