Funabashi, Japan Wyland Whaling Wall 14

History of the Funabashi, Japan Wyland Whaling Wall 14

-Sperm Whales

Wyland’s mural in Funabashi, Japan, came during a tumultuous time in the marine
conservation movement. The mural depicting sperm whales, a species whose numbershad yet to rebound after years of hunting, was dedicated by Dr. Goro Tomenaga and Mr. Ono, President of the Tokyo Bay Fishing Council, both significant figures in Japan”s evolving stance on marine ecosystems.

At the time, Tokyo Bay had been suffering from increased pollution and overfishing, like the waters off the coast of many industrialized nations. But Japan had also caught the ire of the world with its continued push to continue whaling. During this period, Wyland decided to let his art speak on behalf of the animals. The artwork, he said, was intended to show these great cetaceans at a scale that most people would never truly understand without seeing one firsthand. But more importantly it drew more attention to the fragile state of these whale populations. “These animals could disappear off the face of the earth in the face if we don’t own up to our responsibility of protecting them,” Wyland said. “Years of whaling had done enough damage. People needed to see what they stood to lose.

“I painted two whales on the seawall at Funabashi, and I wasn’t sure how they would be received. But the Japanese people appreciate art and artists, and their response was overwhelmingly positive.”I wanted the Japanese to see a whale in its true context, other than on a dinner plate.”

Wyland felt he needed to make a more extensive statement in Japan yet, and he took the opportunity during this first trip to visit the old whaling village of Taiji, where Japanese whaling had begun centuries earlier. He met the mayor of Taiji and talked to him about possibly replacing the country’s whaling industry with whale-watching but with the same conditions as Funabashi. Wyland would paint but also talk about the importance of saving the whales. The mayor appeared receptive, so the artist vowed to return one day and paint a mural in the village.

Whaling wall 14

Funabashi, Japan
140 Feet Long x 18 Feet High
Dedicated October 14th, 1987
By Dr. Goro Tomenaga, Mr. Ono, President of Tokyo Bay Fishing Council

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