The Dark Side of Japan

Japan, the land of the rising Sun. Tokyo, its capital city which is a modern, metropolitan yet eco-friendly city, always being hailed and boast as one of the best and foremost city to live in this world due to its million miles step-ahead modernity in technology, as well as eco-friendly activities that always revolved among its stern citizen. However, scarcely of us knew about the other side of the Japanese culture, in which could lead to multiple species’ extinction if both left uncontrolled and no action is taken.

Secrecy. One of the most popular principles that has been practiced in every Japanese for years. Back in the year 1956, Japanese Government and a chemical company have endeavoured for years together in order to hide the relationship that they had. Nonetheless, the chemical company had made a very frivolous act regarding to the way they treated their industrial waste. This odious fracas have occurred at Minamata Prefecture. This particular chemical company had dumped their mercury waste into a river. Unfortunately, the waste have spreaded widely to the region’s bay. This has triggered a very tragic effect on the Japanese citizen which the children from this region have experienced a rather horrible genetic mutation after they have drank the untreated water that came from the bay. This effect is named the Minamata disease, although the particular company have repudiated their fatuous actions.

Exotic food. Most Japanese love to eat their popular dish, sushi. In order to prepare a rather delectable sushi, they are prone to use exotic animals as the main ingredient. Every September annually, it is the tuna harvesting month. Unfortunately, the tuna fish faced an extinction threat due to the immoderate tuna harvesting activity. Every day, the fishmongers will obtain new supplies of tunas, no matter how big the tunas are. This overindulgent activity will eventually led to a severe reduction of tuna’s population and in the end, will induce the scarcity for trawling fresh tuna.

Heartless. In Taiji Prefecture, dolphin fishing is a very common activity. They hunt for the inoffensive dolphins because they wanted its meat for concocting exotic and high-priced sushi. In fact, every September is the dolphin-slaughtering session ditto, because at this particular month, they will harvest an enormous amount of dolphins as well as tunas, for the same purposes. However, in order to take control of this serious haphazard, Japanese Government as well as its citizens are not on the right track in opposition to this madness. In fact, they have also against the nature conservation activists’ acts and did nothing about the excessive fishing problem.

Savage. Most of the people from the Taiji Prefecture work as dolphin fishers. But, the way they exterminated the dolphins is rather ruthless. They stabbed the harmless dolphins with a very thick spear. After the dolphins are officially dead, they used very sharp hooks and hooked the dolphins ruthlessly. Then, they tied the rope that had been affixed with the hooks to the boat and dragged the dead dolphins across the sea. Ass for the outcome, the clear sea water have turned to red blood-coloured water for a week.

Appalling. Just a few years back if not mistaken, Japanese Government had made an agreement with all countries around the world. The eminent point of this agreement is about the nature and the laws that all countries have to abide, in order to keep the nature safe. The agreement was named the Kyoto Protocol. All countries’ representatives agreed to the sign agreement. The only setback was there were some of the countries that did not even sign the agreement and one particular country is the United States of America (USA). The rationale which could give an explainable answer for the USA’s action is it is the only country that really convinced it can afford to really declined to the fighting climate change policy, although it shares the same earth with the other 192 nations.

Dauntless. The nature activists have developed a very perilous act in order to show the whole world about these heartless activities. They had to act like vicious trespassers to record all of the callous and eye-sore activities of dolphin fishing. Finally, they have successfully completed an award-winning documentary, The Cove. Eventually, through this booming success of the documentary, it has also opened the people’s eyes about the current issues relating to the nature.

In conclusion, we as Malaysians have to support all nature conservation activities as well as eco-friendly products, in order to show our conscience and ceaseless substantiate towards the Earth conservation activities ditto, and to keep our Earth greener and healthier. But, have we played our role as Malaysians particularly, in order to keep our environment as well as surroundings unblemished and safe to be live in?

(793 words)

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