Japan's official in charge of whaling issues is optimistic that the prowhaling contingent will continue to make inroads at the International Whaling Commission talks in progress in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Joji Morishita, deputy director of the Fisheries Agency's Far Seas Fisheries Division, hopes the IWC's 54th annual gathering, held in a traditional whaling town, will entice more countries to side with Japan.
"This meeting is a good chance for us to get our message across," said Morishita, a senior member of Japan's negotiating team.