The Sept. 2 Kyodo article "Typhoon delays Taiji dolphin hunt" misses the main point. It should have said: "While coastal whaling involving catcher boats usually starts May 1, drive hunting — a traditional whaling method born in Taiji in which cetaceans are herded into a shallow bay where they are brutally beaten to death with clubs and spikes ..."
A "traditional whaling method born in Taiji" does not justify this barbaric practice, which brings shame to Japan. Whale watching, not whale murder, is the long-term answer. And there wasn't even a mention of the mercury found in the dolphin meat, either. For those two omissions, this is a shameful article.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.