The gentle giants of the sea (Tohorā), the great whales are held in high regard and are sacred to many cultures. This includes the people of New Zealand, especially Māori.

Māori and other New Zealanders have a strong spiritual connection to whales and some Māori consider that whales assisted their ancestors in migrating to New Zealand. It is upsetting to us when they are hurt and killed, no matter what the reason.

The scientific whaling practised by Japan is hard for us to understand. We see very little being gained by killing large numbers of whales for data that could be obtained in other ways.

This practice is affecting the way your great nation is perceived by the rest of the world. Many nations study whales by watching them while living and by studying them after they die naturally.

We understand that the practice of scientific whaling is being financed indirectly by the Japanese government through an interest free loan, so the long term financial viability of this research is questionable. Stopping scientific whaling could save the Japanese government considerable money.

There may have been a time when whale meat was consumed by many and was an essential source of protein for Japanese people. But this time has passed – now it is reported that demand for whale meat is waning, and stockpiles are mounting. What a waste of spiritual and majestic lives.

New Zealand holds many Japanese companies such as Toyota, Honda, Toshiba, Sony and Fujitsu in high regard. These companies lead the world in quality and innovation. The image of Japan as a creative and world-leading nation is being tarnished by scientific whaling. This practice is in direct conflict with Japanese companies who promote an environmentally friendly approach to product innovation.

Children of New Zealand and many other countries are asking the Japanese government to conserve whales for their sake. Children are the future customers of Japanese products and innovations.

The “Kyoto Protocol” shows us that Japan wants to lead the world in environmental matters. This could also be the case for whaling.

It would take the wisdom of your great ancestors to resolve this issue for all those involved.

Your country could achieve so much by taking the lead and voluntarily stopping the practice of scientific whaling. It would enhance the honour of Japan and its people. Generations to come would remember and value this action, and the wisdom displayed by Japan, in saving the great whales for us all.