I've always believed that each nationality has the same capacity for good and bad. Previous generations of English and Americans have portrayed the Japanese as coldhearted people with little concern for the suffering of others. In my family this was partly a result of experiences in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps during World War II. I still believe, though, that with the same history and circumstances any race would behave in a similar manner.
Unfortunately, the negative view of the Japanese is being reinforced by the hunting of whales. The human race has developed sufficiently so that neither culture, tradition, religion nor money (scientific research) is any excuse for causing suffering on this scale.
I'm sure the young people of Japan would not want to be thought of as "heartless." Please stop hunting whales. This would be something the Japanese could be truly proud of, and be a reason for optimism in the world.