Japanese Culture of Mourning Whales

Mayumi Itoh is former Professor of Political Science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, US. She has also taught at Princeton University and Queens College, City University of New York and has written numerous books, including Globalization of Japan (1998), The Hatoyama Dynasty (2003), Japanese Wartime Zoo Policy (2010), and The Origin of Ping-Pong Diplomacy (2011).

• Introduction.- Historical Background.- Whaling Culture and Whale Graves in the Hokkaidō and Tōhoku Regions.- Whale Shrines and Temples in the Kantō Region.- Whale Graves and Monuments in the Chūbu and Hokuriku Regions.- Sacred Mountains of Buddhism and Shintoism and Whaling Culture in the Kansai-Kinki Region.- Pure Land Buddhism and Whaling Culture in the Chūgoku Region.- Pilgrimage of Eighty-Eight Temples and Whale Graves in the Shikoku Region.- Buddhism, Catholicism, Shintoism, and Whaling Culture in the Kyūshū Region.- Conclusion.

“Though the book was published in 2018, it remains an excellent resource given the long history of most of the monuments and rituals covered. … The Japanese Culture of Mourning Whales is a unique and worthwhile addition to the small but growing canon on Japanese whaling. As it is arranged by region and includes a map and charts for easy access, I’ve found myself checking it before I travel within Japan … .” (Jay Alabaster, Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 76 (2), 2021)