Felicity Jane Greenland    Department   Kyoto University of Foreign Studies  Department of British and American Studies, Faculty of Foreign Studies    Position   Professor
Date	2016/06/01
Presentation Theme	Re-sounding Echoes – Traditional Songs as a Key to the Past, Present and Future of Japanese Whaling Communities
Conference	ISIC12 (12th International Small Islands Cultures Conference)
Conference Type	International
Presentation Type	Speech (General)
Contribution Type	Individual
Venue	Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, Naha
Details	This paper examines traditional local songs associated with historical Japanese whaling, and applies the findings to the conference context of identity and welfare issues in small island and coastal communities. Fifty songs associated with Japanese whaling of the Edo period (1603-1868) are analyzed for cultural information. The relevance of the findings, to the current whaling controversy and affected locales, is discussed. This paper contributes to a discussion of how revival and dissemination of these songs might promote a wider understanding of the prevailing values and behaviors in islands and coastal communities, and how such intangible cultural heritage assets might be utilized to address the impact of the global anti-whaling norm on their economy, social fabric, identity and reputation.