whale meat, page-2

TOKYO -- Japan has enticed children with whale burger school lunches, sung the praises of the red meat in colorful pamphlets and declared whale hunting "a national heritage."

But Tokyo has a dilemma: By rapidly expanding its whale hunt, Japan kills more of the giant mammals than its consumers care to eat.

The result is an unprecedented glut of whale meat. Prices -- once about $15 a pound -- are plunging, inventories are bursting and promoters are scrambling to get Japanese to eat more whale.

It's a tough sell.

"To put it simply, whale meat tastes horrible," said 30-year-old Kosuke ...