Tokyo Two
Encyclopedia
The Tokyo Two are Greenpeace
anti-whaling
activists Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, who were arrested for stealing whale meat they believed to have been embezzled from a shipping depot in Aomori Prefecture, Japan in 2008.
at a delivery depot in Aomori Prefecture
, Japan, and handed it over to the police as evidence of a theft ring within the whaling industry
. Japan says the industry is for scientific research but receives criticism for the meat being sold in shops and restaurants. Sato and Suzuki held a news conference, intending to expose what they called embezzlement
of whale meat. An investigation was opened, but no charges were brought against the whalers after the investigators found that the meat was intended as souvenirs and was not sold.
human rights group, their treatment by Japanese authorities was arbitrary and contravened elements of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Also Amnesty International
expressed their concern about the treatment and stated that they believed that the detention and charges of Sato and Suzuki may have been aimed at intimidating activists. The two activists are facing up to 18 months in prison. Sato stated on June 24, 2010 that, while he believes that he and Suzuki will be convicted, he has no regrets, because he believes that the "wrong-doing" had to be exposed.
On September 6, 2010, they were found guilty of stealing whale meat they believed to have been illegally diverted from whaling research for private consumption. They were sentenced to one year in prison by the Aomori District Court, but the sentences were suspended. They are planning to appeal the ruling on the basis that activists should not be punished for uncovering wrongdoing.
(IWC) meeting, Sato expressed support for aggressive confrontations between anti-whaling groups and whalers in the Southern Ocean. Sato now believes that anti-whaling organizations should not engage in annual confrontations with whaling expeditions in the Southern Ocean, and should instead focus on "campaigning with words." Furthermore, he argues that outside groups which wish to change whaling in Japan need to understand that any change that happens will occur slowly, but that such changes are possible and currently occurring.
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
anti-whaling
Anti-whaling
Anti-whaling refers to actions taken by those who seek to end whaling in various forms, whether locally or globally in the pursuit of marine conservation. Such activism is often a response to specific conflicts with pro-whaling countries and organizations that practice commercial whaling and/or...
activists Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, who were arrested for stealing whale meat they believed to have been embezzled from a shipping depot in Aomori Prefecture, Japan in 2008.
Theft and investigation
In 2008, Sato and Suzuki intercepted a box of whale meatWhale meat
Whale meat is the flesh of whales used for consumption by humans or other animals. It is prepared in various ways, and is historically part of the diet and cuisine of various communities that live near an ocean, including those of Japan, Norway, Iceland, and the Arctic...
at a delivery depot in Aomori Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
, Japan, and handed it over to the police as evidence of a theft ring within the whaling industry
Whaling in Japan
Whaling in Japan may have begun as early as the 12th century. During the 20th century, Japan was heavily involved in commercial whaling until the International Whaling Commission moratorium on commercial whaling went into effect in 1986...
. Japan says the industry is for scientific research but receives criticism for the meat being sold in shops and restaurants. Sato and Suzuki held a news conference, intending to expose what they called embezzlement
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
of whale meat. An investigation was opened, but no charges were brought against the whalers after the investigators found that the meat was intended as souvenirs and was not sold.
Arrest and trial
About a month after the news conference, Sato and Suzuki were arrested and charged with theft and trespass. According to the activists, they were detained by police for 26 days, and were held without charge for 23 days. During that time, they also said they were questioned without a lawyer, tied to chairs, and interrogated for up to 12 hours a day. According to a United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
human rights group, their treatment by Japanese authorities was arbitrary and contravened elements of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Also Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
expressed their concern about the treatment and stated that they believed that the detention and charges of Sato and Suzuki may have been aimed at intimidating activists. The two activists are facing up to 18 months in prison. Sato stated on June 24, 2010 that, while he believes that he and Suzuki will be convicted, he has no regrets, because he believes that the "wrong-doing" had to be exposed.
On September 6, 2010, they were found guilty of stealing whale meat they believed to have been illegally diverted from whaling research for private consumption. They were sentenced to one year in prison by the Aomori District Court, but the sentences were suspended. They are planning to appeal the ruling on the basis that activists should not be punished for uncovering wrongdoing.
Anti-Whaling Views Expressed by Sato
Prior to the alleged theft of whale meat, at a news conference outside the 2007 International Whaling CommissionInternational Whaling Commission
The International Whaling Commission is an international body set up by the terms of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling , which was signed in Washington, D.C...
(IWC) meeting, Sato expressed support for aggressive confrontations between anti-whaling groups and whalers in the Southern Ocean. Sato now believes that anti-whaling organizations should not engage in annual confrontations with whaling expeditions in the Southern Ocean, and should instead focus on "campaigning with words." Furthermore, he argues that outside groups which wish to change whaling in Japan need to understand that any change that happens will occur slowly, but that such changes are possible and currently occurring.
See also
- Factory shipFactory shipA factory ship, also known as a fish processing vessel, is a large ocean-going vessel with extensive on-board facilities for processing and freezing caught fish...
- Institute of Cetacean ResearchInstitute of Cetacean ResearchThe is a Japanese government-sponsored institution. It took over from the Whale Research Institute , which grew out of the Nakabe Scientific Research Centre ....
- International Convention for the Regulation of WhalingInternational Convention for the Regulation of WhalingThe International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling is an international environmental agreement signed in 1946 in order to "provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry"...
- International Whaling CommissionInternational Whaling CommissionThe International Whaling Commission is an international body set up by the terms of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling , which was signed in Washington, D.C...
- Kyodo SenpakuKyodo Senpakuwas formed in 1987 and is a consolidation of earlier whaling departments of Japanese fisheries. The for-profit company conducts the collection, processing and wholesale of the whale byproducts on behalf of the Institute of Cetacean Research, in accordance with IWC Article VIII which specifically...
- WhalingWhalingWhaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
- Whaling controversyWhaling controversyThe whaling controversy is the international environmental and ethical debate over whale hunting. The debate has focused on issues of sustainability and conservation as well as ownership and national sovereignty. Also raised in debates is the question of cetacean intelligence and the level of...