Whaling in Japan offers readers a peek into the political and bureaucratic power relations that have resulted in Japan’s continuation of whaling in the face of international opprobrium. … The strength of this work lies in its detailed examination of the workings of Japanese bureaucracy and specifically inter-agency power relations. It explains why Japan persists in vigorously pursuing pro-whaling diplomacy, even when doing so hurts its diplomatic efforts in other, perhaps more important, areas. … Whaling in Japan provides access to a wealth of sources otherwise only available to Japanese speakers.’ — Cambridge Review of International Affairs