Japan's new whaling ship sets sail amid controversy

The Kangei Maru, Japan's new whaling mother ship, embarked on its first hunting trip from Shimonoseki Port in Yamaguchi Prefecture on Tuesday.

During the flag-off ceremony, Hideki Tokoro, president of commercial whaling operator Kyodo Senpaku, which owns the Kangei Maru, emphasized the importance of the ship in preserving offshore mother ship whaling. The Kangei Maru is set to catch whales off the coast of the Tohoku region.

Mother ship whaling refers to the role of a larger vessel supporting smaller, more maneuverable craft that hunt whales and bring the carcasses back for processing and freezing.