KEY POINTS:
He used to eat whales. But now Hiroshi Nakatsuji feels so strongly about the killing of the giant sea mammals he is staging a protest against it.
The stand-up comedian will do what he does best, use a comedy stage show as a platform to drive home his
anti-whaling message.
He is also gathering signatures for an anti-whaling petition addressed to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda which he will hand to the Japanese Consul-General next week.
In an interview with the BBC the Japanese PM was quoted as saying: "We should try to continue with our efforts to try to explain that we are engaged in this research whaling activity from a scientific viewpoint."
But Nakatsuji says: "I think it is important to show that not all Japanese support whaling."
In fact, he said, a survey commissioned by Greenpeace found that only a third of Japanese supported the killing of whales.
The show is called Lucky Golden Whales and the words lucky and golden, commonly used in Chinese restaurants, add to the imagery of whale meat on the dinner table.
"Scientific research can be done without the killing and whaling has also caused unnecessary conflict between Japan and the rest of the world - and it is important that I, as a Japanese living in New Zealand, take that message to them," Nakatsuji said.
He believes whaling has contributed to some of the ill-feeling New Zealand people have against the Japanese which led to some of last year's Japan Day posters being vandalised with the words "Japanese go home".
"I feel sad that some people have chosen to view whaling as a racial thing, rather than a governmental thing."
But Nakatsuji, who is married to a Pakeha New Zealander, is also bracing himself for some strong reactions from the local Japanese community, which he says is divided over whaling.
"I am a little scared about what kind of reaction my public anti-whaling stance might bring about from people in my community," he says.
Miyuki Ong, manager of Ariake Japanese Restaurant, said most Japanese would have grown up eating whale because it was served as part of regular school lunches.
"It was called nimono, where whale meat is boiled with vegetables and served with rice," she said. "Most of us didn't have a choice."
Ms Ong said whale was similar to yellow-fin tuna in colour and taste.
LUCKY WHALES
* The comedy protest show: Lucky Golden Whales.
* Who: Hiroshi Nakatsuji and Mark Scott.
* When: Tuesday 5th of February
* Time: 8pm.
* Where: Classic Comedy Bar, 321 Queen St, Auckland.
* Cost: Donations of $25 upwards. All proceeds to Greenpeace.
