Whale Watching and Dolphin
Watching in Japan

August 2016
NPO Japan Ecotourism Society1Foreword:
In 2009, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) published a
special report titled “Whale Watching Worldwide”. Around 7 pages in thereport were devoted to fact-finding research about whale watching in Japan.
7 years since then, this year`s report will update the data on whale watchingin Japan through fact-finding research by visiting 80% of the localities
mentioned in this report and conducting interviews with relevant local
players such as whale watching associations, unions, and businesses. These
interviews will allow us to gain detailed and accurate knowledge of thecurrent situations in whale watching localities.
The aftereffects of the 2011 East Japan Earthquake and 2016 Kumamoto
Earthquake are still being felt by some whale watching localities, withnumbers of whale watching participants lower than pre-earthquake levels in
2009. On the other hand, some localities have seen large increases in whale
watching participants and sales in the past decade.
This report focused on addressing these points in the interview hearings:①

Number of businesses②

Number of passengers③

Changes in the customer base④

Price of whale watching or dolphin watching tour

⑤

Sales

⑥

Number of employees⑦

Income of employees

Additionally, upon conducting the local interviews, we were informed about
the recent history, issues, and future plans by our interviewees.

2

Table of Contents
Foreword:

page 2

Japan`s whale, dolphin watching localities map:

page 4

Japan overall:

page 5

Ransu:

page 8Abashiri & Muroran:

page 12

Noto:

page 14

Choushi:page 15

Mikurashima & Miyakejima:

page 17

Izu:

page 21

Wakayama Prefecture:

page 22

Kochi Prefecture:

page 23

Ogasawara:

page 26

Amakusa & Shimabara:

page 35

Amami-Oshima & Okinoerabushima:

page 38

Zamami:page 40

Okinawa main island:

page 423

Localities offering whale/dolphin
watching tours in Japan① Ransu②② Abashiri①③ Muroran④ Noto⑤ Choshi③⑥ Mikurashima・Miyakejima⑦ Izu⑧ Nachikatsuura・Kushimoto⑨ Kochi⑩ Ogasawara⑪ Amakusa・Shimabara⑫ Amami-Oshima⑬ Zamami④⑭ Okinawa main island

⑤
⑦
⑥
⑨

⑧

⑪

⑫
⑩

⑬
⑭

4

Japan overall:
It is thought that whale watching in Japan first started in the 1980s. Since
then, the number of whale watchers has steadily increased throughout the
1990s and 2000s. In the 2010s, due to the effects from the East Japan
Earthquake and the Kumamoto Earthquake, the number of whale watchers
as well as sales related to whale watching has decreased in some localities,
remained unchanged in other localities while increasing in other localities.
The overall trend in the number of localities involved in whale watching andrelatedwhale

watching

businessesisincreasing,for

instance

Amami-Oshima is a locality that has recently begun involving itself in whale
watching while other localities and businesses have been forced to shut down
due to ageing captains as well as a decrease in the number of whale watchers.
The overall statistics of whale watching in Japan is shown below.
Year

1998

Number of

Number of tour

Businesses

participants

102,78545

Total sales

Number ofworkers

560 million yen

unknown(approximately)
2008

191,970104

740 million yen

unknown(approximately)2015

233,627148

910 million yen

189(approximately)

As is shown above, there is an annual increase by 20% in the number ofwhale watchers, 40% for whale watching businesses, and 20% for annual
sales. These figures suggest that whale, dolphin watching (including
swimming with dolphins) are in an upwards trend, however in the mostrecent survey, there were few survey results from whale watching localities
and businesses in Okinawa Prefecture and combined with the overall
atmosphere of the survey hearings conducted in that prefecture, it is more
realistic to assume that the trend is horizontal or incrementally increasing.

5

Significant effects from natural disasters:
Upon conducting survey hearings across the various localities, theeffects from the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 were brought up
as a topic of discussion by almost all localities. Even amongst the
localities that did not bring it up as a topic of discussion, many had a low
performance in numbers of customers and sales during 2011. There werealso opinions that during this time, there was a significant decrease in
consumer appetite for tourism, as well as an overall decrease in interestin marine recreation that were to blame for the low performances since
2011.
Additionally, there was the opinion that the Kumamoto earthquake of2016 significantly affected the major dolphin watching areas of
Amakusa and Shimabara, and although there has been a small recovery,
the effects there are still being felt.

Changes over the past few years in the customer base:
Another common topic brought up during the survey hearings was the“changing customer base” of whale watchers. In recent years, Japan has
been making efforts in bringing in foreign tourists, with figuresapproaching twenty million in 2015. In this year`s survey hearings aswell, there were numerous views expressed such as “the number offoreign visitors are increasing” or “roughly one third of whale watchingpassengers are foreign visitors” and so on and indeed, our surveyors saw
first hand, many foreign tourists participating in whale watching
voyages. There was also the view that amongst foreign visitors, theGermans, British and French are the most interested in whale watchingand dolphin watching.



Incomes of workers:
At present, the most commonly discussed topic within the whale
watching industry, as well as the eco-tourism industry as a whole inJapan, is the issue of income. Eco-tourism workers employed as guides
in various localities across Japan receive an overwhelmingly low income

6when compared to other professions as well as to their foreign peers.
Due to this, there are few people who are interested in becoming
eco-tourism guides, while people with strong interests in nature or
marine life who may be interested in working as eco-tourism guides are
few and far between, exacerbating the lack of manpower within theindustry. In this year`s survey hearings, we put an effort into collecting
data on income, believing it is important for the continued developmentof the whale watching industry.
The survey found that the highest level of income was a 3.2 million yen
salary or a monthly wage of roughly 130,000yen to 150,000yen, (in many
instances, room and board is included in this figure) while the lowest
level of income was an 80,000yen monthly wage in some places.
As stated previously, the survey conducted this year showed that there are
localities where the numbers of visitors and sales are increasing, remains
unchanged, or has decreased to one-tenth of peak levels; details follow.

71. Ransu (Hokkaido)
Year

Number of

Number ofBusinesses

tour

Total sales

Number ofMonthly

workers

wage

participants
2008

3

6,380

unknown

unknown

unknown

2015

5

19,709120 million yen

15

130,00 yen(approximately)(approximately)～160,000yen

Whale watching in Ransu began relatively recently, around ten years ago.
Killer Whales and Sperm Whales can be sighted a short voyage from theharbor, contributing to Ransu`s status as the fastest growing whale watchingspot in Japan.
Total number of passengers on tour boats leaving Ransu

Month

Year

(Ransu Town Tourism Association)
KEY:
yellow highlighted box= total number of passenger from April to December
blue highlighted box= % change in numbers of passengers compared to previous year

8

Whale watching season:
Whale watching season in Ransu usually is from the end of April through toearly October. Most whale watching businesses offer bird watching voyages
during the winter, however whale-watching voyages during the summer
months bring in four times as many passengers.
Whale watching style:Ransu`s whale watching businesses possesses 4 relatively large tourist boats,
each with a capacity of 50-60 passengers. Normally, there are two voyages
per day, one before noon and one in the after noon. (Adult fare is 8,000yen)
The waters off Ransu are relatively calm, allowing most voyages to takeplace as scheduled.

(Whale watching scene in Ransu, 2016)

Chances of encountering whales:
In Ransu, it is possible to see many different species of whales after only ashort voyage from the harbor, which is unique amongst whale watching spots.
Ransu also has parks, as well as a park on a hill from which it is possible to9view whales. (A similar park exists on Chichijima and Hahajima in
Ogasawara Islands.)
A table showing the probability of encountering whales is below;
Probability of encountering whales in Ransu
Month>70% chance
50~69% chance
30~49% chance
10~29% chance(Shiretoko Nature Cruise)<10% chance (data missing for Jan, Nov, Dec)

chanceKEY:second row from top: combined number of seasons
third row from top: status of tours(January, November, December: tours closed, February & March: ice floe, April: preparation)
far left hand column: species of animals encountered(species from top to bottom: Steller`s sea eagle, White-tailed sea eagle, Shearwater, Steller`s sea lion,
harbor seal, fur seal, sea otter, sperm whale, Baird`s beaked whale, Minke whale, Dall`s porpoise,
porpoise, Pacific white-sided dolphin, Killer whale)

Changes in customer base:
As mentioned earlier, Ransu has seen a steady increase in the number ofwhale watchers. As in other localities, the number of whale watchers fromabroad has been increasing remarkably. Foreign tourists make up 30% of thepassengers on winter voyages, and regarding whale watching as well, theratio of foreign tourists is increasing, and this trend is continuing
throughout 2016.

10

Whale watching`s effect on local economy:
Ransu is inside Shiretoko National Park, and ever since the National Parkwas registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site, expanding the tourism
industry in this town of 5,300 has become a necessity. Recently, according tostatistics collected by Ransu Town in 2014, tourists numbered 520,000 per
year. Out of these, 64,000 tourists stayed over night in Ransu, meaning theremaining 90% of tourists came only for day trips. Generally speaking,tourists on day trips spend little money and in many instances contributelittle to the local economy. However out of these tourists, 20,000 whale
watchers are included, and presuming that each spends at least 6,500yen fora voyage, they generate 130 million yen in sales annually for the local
economy. This figure is roughly the same as what 14,000 over night tourists
would generate annually, based on the national average of 9,250yen per
night spent by tourists on over night accommodation. Thus, it can be said
that whale watching contributes relatively more to the local economy thanother tourist activities.
Employment figures and pay:
In Ransu, the main whale watching businesses hire crew other than acaptain on their boats. The number of businesses is not many, compared toother localities, yet the value of these businesses is that they offer
employment opportunities for young people. Additionally, the level of income
for workers is high compared to other localities regardless of whether theworker is qualified in the operation of tourist boats, and in one case, a non
qualified worker makes 3 million yen per year.
Future plans and issues:This year`s survey hearings showed that in terms of numbers of tourist boat
passengers, sales, and worker income, Ransu saw the highest growth in the
country. Whale watching businesses in Ransu cooperate with one another,11and there is no conflict between businesses or with the locality, as issometimes the case, and because of this cooperation, the chances ofencountering a whale are increasing.
Although currently not an issue, gathering more tourists is the key forcontinued success in Ransu. The Shiretoko region includes the two towns of
Utoro and Ransu, with the majority of tourists to the region visiting Utoro.
For instance 1.14 million tourists visited Utoro, while 520,000 tourists
visited Ransu in 2014, or in other words, Utoro received around double thenumber of tourists than Ransu. Regarding over-night tourists, Utoro has aconcentration of large-scale resorts, drawing in 410,000 guests compared to
64,000 guests in Ransu. The disparity in number of over-night guests
between the two towns has thus increased to 6.4 fold. Additionally, there are
40 individuals offering optional tours in Utoro, more than in Ransu. As
mentioned earlier, the benefit of whale watching on the local economy ofRansu is that the amount of money spent by one tourist on one whale
watching voyage is roughly equal to the amount spent by one over-night
guest. With even more cooperation with Utoro, (there is already cooperation
with a number of tour businesses and hotels in Utoro) it is hoped that whale
watching businesses in Ransu can expand further, (existing businesses
acquiring more boats or an increase in number of businesses) ultimately
leading to an increase in numbers of workers as well as an increase inincome.

2. Abashiri and 3. Muroran (Hokkaido)
Year

NumberBusinessesofNumber of

Total sales

tour

NumberofMonthly wage

workers

participants
2008

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

2015

3

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown121. Number of whale watching businesses in Abashiri and Muroran:
Abashiri: 1
Muroran: 2
2. Total annual passengers:
Unknown
3. Number of workers:
Unknown
4. Whale watching season:
Abashiri: April~October
Muroran: May~August
5. Recent History:
Abashiri: whale watching began in 2008
Muroran: there has been an increase of 1 whale watching businesssince 2012
6. Whale watching style and price:
Abashiri: 8,000yen per adult
Muroran: 6,000yen per adult(boats consist mostly of small recreational fishing vessels)
7. Uniqueness of Muroran・Abashiri:
A relatively wide variety of whale species can be seen in both
localities.
8. Future potential and issues:
Depending on the business, some have seen a decrease in number ofparticipants, while others have seen an increase, and there were no
particular concerns that were mentioned during the survey hearing.

13

4. Noto (Ishikawa)
Year

Number of

Number ofBusinesses

tour

Total sales

Number ofMonthly wage

workers

participants
2008

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

201514

aroundaround 40

around 20

Unknown

20,000

million yen

1. History of Dolphin watching in Noto:
Dolphin watching in Noto began in 2008, which we found out during oursurvey for that year. Within the next decade, there was a great increasein dolphin watching, and now, dolphin watching businesses in Noto boast
a fleet of 12 vessels as well as 2 businesses that offer activities such as
swimming with dolphins.
2. Current situation:
Dolphin watching cruises mainly depart from Noto Island, and in 2015
there were 20,000 passengers participating in Dolphin watching cruises.
The average price for a dolphin-watching cruise is around 2,000yen per
adult.
3. Significant increase in numbers of tourists in the area:
Noto Island is relatively close to cities such as Kanazawa and Toyama,both of which are seeing more tourist visitors due to the convenient andfast access provided by the recently opened Hokuriku Bullet Train. Somedolphin watching businesses have seen a 30% increase in visitors
compared to the previous year.
4. Price of dolphin watching cruise:
The price for a dolphin-watching cruise with durations of 1 to 1.5 hours isaround 2,000yen to 3,000yen per adult. Some businesses have very quick

14

turn around between cruises and offer up to 7 cruises per day. The
majority of dolphin watching boats are fishing vessels with a capacity ofaround 10 passengers.
5. Issues:
Although the number of participants in dolphin watching is increasing
significantly, there are still some issues. Dolphins that can be seen off
Noto are Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins, and the pod of 11 is frequently
sighted far from the coast, lowering the chances of encountering them ona cruise.

5. Choushi (Chiba)
Year

Number of

Number ofBusinesses

tour

Total sales

Number ofMonthly wage

workers

participants
2008

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

2015

1

4,000

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

1. Number of dolphin watching businesses:
1
2. Total annual passengers:
Around 4,000 people
3. Number of workers:
2 full time employees, 2 civil servants
4. Recent history and current issues:
The first cruise business was set up in 1998. Various activities such as
dolphin watching whale watching, sunset cruises are run by the tourist
boat businesses in Choushi.

15

The most pressing issue at present is the lack of increase in the numberof dolphin watching participants. It has been 18 years since the firstbusiness was set up, yet Choushi remains relatively little known as adolphin-watching locality. With this in mind, dolphin watching workers
from the younger generation are actively using social media and blogs tocreatepublicawarenessfor

Choushiasatouristdestination.

Advertisements on travel websites such as “Jyaran” (じゃらん) are costly
and not an option.
Additionally, business has not recovered to pre-2011 earthquake levels
and is still around 70% of pre-2011 levels. This is true for Choushi as awhole. Choushi has other tourist attractions such as a Geopark and aJapanese cultural heritage site, which are promoted by the local
government just as much as it promotes dolphin watching. A cruise thatthe local government is creating that incorporates visiting the Geoparkand Japanese cultural heritage site will hopefully bring in more dolphin
watchers as well.
5. Other relevant points:
24 species of whales and dolphins have been confirmed as sighted off theshores of Choushi. Another attraction is that there is no off-season and it
is possible to see whales, dolphins and fur seals year round. Choushi islocated at the southernmost point for fur seals migrating south during
winter. Along the coast, many Indian Porpoises can be spotted, and there
are thought to be around 200 to 300. Some of the porpoises in the pod arerearing their young, a sight which may bring in more tourists.

16

6. Mikurashima・Miyakejima (Tokyo)
Year

Number of

Number ofBusinesses

tour

Total sales

Number ofMonthly wage

workers

participants
2008

Unknown

19,372

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

2015

25

16,619130 million yen

50～60

80,000yen ~(approximately)

110,000yen

Mikurashima and Miyakejima are two isolated islands administered by
Tokyo. They are roughly 200 km from mainland Tokyo, and while being
readily accessible from Tokyo by ferry or helicopter, it is difficult to say that
this has closed the distance between them. Dolphins reside in the waters off
Mikurashima, yet Miyakejima is very close by, and dolphin watching cruises
depart from both islands. Dolphin watching season runs from April toearly-November.
1. Numbers of passengers on dolphin watching cruises:
There is a local ordinance on Mikurashima that obligates dolphin
watching and dolphin swimming businesses to obtain a license anddisclose passenger numbers. As a result, there are very detailed figuresavailable, as is shown below.

17Number of passengers

Number of passengers on tour boats in Mikurashima・Miyakejima

Mikurashima registry

Miyakeshima registry

Total number of passengers(Mikurajima Tourism Association)

2. Rules for Dolphin swimming on Mikura and Miyake Island:
The rules issued by the localities are the following;
Rules and Manners:
In order for dolphins and humans to maintain a good relationship, somevoluntary rules have been established. Participants in dolphin swim
tours are urged to follow the voluntary rules.


Do not interfere with feeding, mating, birthing and other naturalactivities of the dolphins.

Do not approach pods that have young dolphins.

Do not attempt to approach pods of dolphins that do not approachhuman swimmers.

Do not touch or attempt to touch the dolphins.

Do not feed the dolphins.

Do not approach dolphins while scuba diving.



Refrain from using whistles and diving computers or any otherequipment that emits artificial sounds.

When taking photos underwater, do not use a flash.

Do not take photos using selfie-sticks.

(Mikurajima Tourism Association)18

3. Business operating method:
There are differences in operating methods, price and types of boat
between dolphin swim tours on Mikurashima and Miyakejima.
Business

Type of boat

Price per adult

Dolphin swim

Most are small

7,300y～9,000yen

tours run as mainfishing vessels(7,500yen is theoperation
Mikurashimabusiness
Miyakejima

most common)

Dolphin swim run

Most areas an optional

medium-sized

attraction by

motor yachts used

Scuba Divingfor Scuba diving

businesses

tours

14,000yen

4. Current situation of dolphin watching industry workers:
There are estimated to be 50 to 60 individuals, including business owners
involved in dolphin watching and swimming with dolphins on
Mikurashima and Miyakejima.
The situation of worker`s pay on Mikurashima is shown below;
Company A: 100,000 yen per month (room and board, heating andlighting are paid for by the employer, and there are bonuses during peak
tourist seasons)Company B: 80,000 yen per month (room and board paid for by theemployer)Company C: A worker receives a wage of 3,500 yen per cruise
Company D: A worker receives a wage of 5,000 yen per cruise
Company E: A worker receives a wage of 3,000 yen per cruise (Guides
who have worked for over four years receive an additional 4,000 yen per
cruise)19

Company F: Including pay for hours worked at the site of accommodation,
110,000 yen per month (roam and board, lighting and electricity, foodpaid for by employer as well as an annual 40,000 yen stipend fortransportation to and from the island, an annual bonus of 50,000 yen ~100,000 yen depending on sales during peak tourist season, and a yearly
increase in annual pay by 10,000 yen)Company G: 140,000 yen including pay for hours worked at the site ofaccommodation (room and board, lighting and electricity and food paid
for by employer)
Most guides have two jobs, also working at their place of accommodation,
which tend to be small family run hotels, or at local restaurants. It isapparent that the pay for guides on Mikurashima is low.
5. Future plans and issues:
There are thought to be two mains issues.
①

Income of dolphin watching workers, business owners.

②

Friction between localities.

①

Income:The results from the survey hearings on Mikurashima have been
described above in detail through surveys of Companies A to G. An
additional point is that most of the guides are young and tend toreturn to the mainland off-season, and for the interest of increasing
the migration of young people to an island with a rapidly aging
population, increasing their income is urgent.

②

Friction between localities:
Although this is true for the Izu Islands (of which Mikurashima andMiyakejima are part of) as a whole, there is a history of bad relations
between Mikurashima and Miyakejima. Many localities with friendly
relations cooperate with each other in business and promotion, yet
between these two islands, there is no such cooperation. It is urgent

20

that the two islands establish a cooperative relationship in order toattract larger numbers of dolphin watchers.

7. Ito (Shizuoka)
Year

Number of

Number of

Total sales

NumberBusinesses

tour

of

participants

workers

Monthly wage

2008

1

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

2015

1

300

Unknown

1 FamilyUnknown

1. Number of dolphin watching businesses:
1
2. Total annual passengers:
Around 300 people (tours take place year round)
The first dolphin watching tours had around 2,000 visitors annually,
however after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the public`s perceptionof the ocean increasingly became associated with disaster and fear,
decreasing demand for dolphin watching tours offered by tour agencies.
For instance, many students on school field trips used to participate on
dolphin watching cruises, while now there are very few who do.
3. Number of workers employed in dolphin watching businesses:
A married couple runs the 1 business in Ito.
4. Recent history and current issues:
Whale watching in Ito began in 2002, and chances for spotting whales arearound 60% per cruise. These chances increase to around 80%~90%
during November to March. The main issue is what to do when no whales
are spotted. It is possible to see Mt. Fuji from a cruise, so when there is nowhale sighting, tourists have the opportunity to enjoy the view of Mt.Fuji

21and Izu National Park instead. However, the couple feels that more needs
to be done to keep tourists happy. (Cruises take place on fishing vessels
leased to them by local fishermen)

8. Wakayama Prefecture
Year

Number of

Number ofBusinesses

tour

Total sales

Number ofMonthly

workers

wage

participants
2008

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown20154around 1,000

around 6

around 10

Unknown

million yen

1. Number of whale, dolphin watching businesses:
Nachikatsuura Town: 2
Kushimoto Town: 2
2. Total annual passengers:
Around 1,000 people
3. Number of workers employed in whale, dolphin watching businesses:
Around 10 (including business owners)
4. Whale, dolphin watching season:
Varies by business, generally from late March to end of September
5. Recent history:
First starting in 1990, whale, dolphin watching in Wakayama has thelongest history out of all localities in this survey hearing. Although somebusinesses were set up as recently as 2000, all workers have a career in
the industry of at least ten years.
6. Business up until now and recent trends:

22

In general, the peak in numbers of tourists was in the late 1990s, with 1.5
times more tourists then there are now. Ever since this peak, numbers
have declined and have steadied in recent years.
Many business owners and workers feel that the 2011 East Japan
earthquake and tsunami led many tourists away from maritime
recreational activities due to fears of a recurrence of the disaster.
Many businesses also run scuba diving tours. A recent trend is theincrease in numbers of foreign tourists coming not only from Asia but also
from the rest of the world.
7. Other relevant points:
The chance of spotting a whale on a cruise is around 70%, and if including
dolphins, the chances approach 90%. The highest chance of spotting
dolphins and whales is during Golden Week, and there are only 5 to 10
days during the year where no dolphins or whales can be spotted.
(Excluding days in which cruises are cancelled due to weather)

9. Kochi Prefecture
Year

Number of

Number ofBusinesses

tour

Total sales

Number ofMonthly

workers

wage

participants
2008

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

2015

20 vessels

around30 million yen

around 20~25

Unknown(business

6,000(approximately)

ownerstend to becaptains)

1. Number of dolphin, whale watching businesses:
Kuroshio Town: 8 vessels
Usa: 8 vessels

23

Other: vessels dispersed in places such as Muroto, Tosa-Shimizu
2. Annual number of cruise passengers:
Around 6000 people
3. Number of employees
Captains + Local offices: around 20 workers
4. Dolphin, whale watching season:
Varies slightly by locality, but generally from late March to late October/
5. We were told in this year`s survey hearing that Ogata district in Kuroshio
Town first started dolphin and whale watching tours in 1989. Usa beganoffering tours in 1996. Ogata is one of the localities with the longest
history of whale watching, second only to Ogasawara Islands.
6. Dolphin, whale watching style:
In general, dolphin and whale watching businesses are run as a sidebusiness by fishermen and as a result, boats used on tours tend to besmall fishing vessels, displacing around 9 tons and with a capacity ofaround 12 passengers. Hiring boats for tours and taking reservations fortour participants is managed by a coordinating office, and not by
Kuroshio Town and Usa itself.

24

(tour boat in Usa)

(meeting place in Kuroshio Town)

7. Recent changes:
This year`s survey hearing found that there is a difference in passenger
numbers between localities in Kochi prefecture. In Kuroshio Town, whale
watching attracted the largest number of participants in the 1990s when
tours were first established. There were around 20,000 passengers per
year during that time. Since then, numbers have decreased to the point
where presently there are less than 2,000 passengers per year. There also
used to be whale-watching businesses near Kochi City but they have allceased to operate.
On the other hand, due to easier access from the rest of the country
compared to Kuroshio Town, Usa enjoyed record numbers of reservations
and passengers this year.
8. Recent Issues in whale watching:
The most significant recent issue is that the probability of encountering
Bryde`s Whales, the main attraction for whale watchers in Kochi
prefecture, is declining. The chances of seeing other species such as
dolphins are not high either, contributing to a downward trend incustomer satisfaction. This situation may have led to the wider decreasein visitors to Kochi prefecture as a whole. There is also evidence offriction between localities in Kochi.

25

9. Change in customer base:
Numbers of foreign visitors are increasing, and from our survey hearing
in Usa, we were told that 90% were either from Europe of North America.

10.
Year

2008

Ogasawara (Tokyo)
Number of

Number ofBusinesses

tour

of

participants

workers22

14,700Total sales

130 million yen

NumberMonthly wage

Unknown

Unknown

160 million yen

around130,000 million(approximately)50

yen~200,000yen(approximately)
2015

25

16,200Ogasawara Village is located roughly 1000 kilometers south of the city ofTokyo city and is administered by Tokyo prefecture. It is accessible only by
ferry. A voyage from Takeshiba pier in Tokyo takes around 24 hours, andthere is a scheduled voyage (excluding the peak tourist season of New Years,
Spring Vacation, Golden Week, Summer Vacation) once every week. As aresult, once on Ogasawara island, a visitor must stay for three nights before
the same ferry back to Tokyo returns on it`s round trip voyage.
History of whale watching in Ogasawara:
Year

Event

1987

Plans to revitalize the Island through whale watching are first planned

1988

Fact-finding mission is sent to observe the whale watching industry in
Maui, Hawaii and to learn about economic benefits. A Canadian
Researcher is invited to Ogasawara and begins research on Humpback
whales.
Whale watching manual created for the first whale watching tour.
Foreign media such as ABC, CNN, National Geographic, BBC come to26

Ogasawara to report about whale watching.
1989

Ogasawara Whale watching Association (OWA) established. Japanese
media report about whale watching and introduces whale watching to thedomestic audience.

1992

Voluntary rules for whale watching are added to whale watching manual.

1993

Ogasawara enjoys it`s first whale watching boom.

1994

International Cetacean Education Research Center (ICERC) symposium
held in Ogasawara.

1997

Voluntary rules for whale watching are revised and edited. Sperm whale
watching takes place for the first time.

2003

Dolphin research team created.

2006

Dolphin・whale watching summit held. Individual identification trackers
for Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphin are made.

2008

Japan Eco-tourism Convention held in Ogasawara.

2011

Ogasawara is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site

2012

Registration as World Heritage site brings about the peak of a second
whale watching boom.

Whale watching and dolphin swimming businesses:
1. Numbers of businesses:
Chichijima: 24
Hahajima: 1
From 2008, 3 new businesses have been established. Out of these 25
businesses, 17 are mainly based around whale watching and dolphinswimming tours, while 8 are run by scuba diving businesses.
2. Number of workers:
Out of the 25 businesses, many are run by single individuals, yet there
are over 50 workers devoted entirely to whale watching and dolphinswimming businesses, composing around 2% of the island`s population.

27

3. Average income of workers:
A worker, employed full time for one year has a starting monthly wage ofaround 130,000yen, and after five years work experience, can earn toaround 200,000yen. Compared to other professions, this figure isrelatively low.
4. Sales figures:
Whale watching and dolphin swimming businesses generate an
estimated 160 million yen per year. Based on figures from 2008, generally,a small-scale business generates around 5 million yen annually, while a
medium-scale business generates around 10 million yen annually.
5. Numbers of visitors:
According to 2015 figures, whale watching and dolphin swim participants
numbered around 16,200 people and is the most popular tour amongst
visitors to Ogasawara.

Ratio of participants in various tours on Ogasawara in 2015

(Ogasawara Tourism Marketing Research)

6. Price of whale watching and dolphin swim:
In 2008, whale watching and dolphin swim tours were priced on average
at around 4,000yen per person for a half-day voyage. However after28

Ogasawara was registered as a World Heritage site and brought about
the second tourism boom to the island, the price was raised to 5,000yen
per person for a half-day voyage, and to 11,000yen for a full-day voyage.
7. Effects on the local economy:①

Countering off season inactivity: Before whale watching tours beganon the island, tourists only used to visit in the summer months,
however after whale watching tours for humpback whales began, thishas changed somewhat, as is shown below.

Passengers embarked on the tour boat “Ogasawara-maru” in 2015

Month

(Ogasawara Marine Transport Company)②

Contribution to local economy: The entire tourism industry in
Ogasawara is thought to generate around 2 billion yen per year, andout of this, whale watching and dolphin swim tours directly
contribute around 160million yen.

③

Attracting more visitors: Currently, more than 50% of visitors visit
the island to participate in marine recreation activities including
scuba diving. This is a much higher figure than visitors who come tothe island to enjoy land based recreational activities.

29

Ratio of participants in various tours on Ogasawara in 2015

(Ogasawara Tourism Marketing Research)④

Repeat visitors: Many whale watching and in particular, dolphin
swim tour participants choose to return to take part again, or inother words, become repeat visitors. Figures are shown below;

Ratio of dolphin swim participants to whale watching participants (2015)

Whale watching
1 time participantsstDolphin swim tour
Repeat customers

As is seen above, it is apparent that dolphin swim tours in particular
attract repeat customers. Dolphin swim tours are particularly
popular with young women, and indeed, it is not rare to findresidents that moved to the island to be able to live near dolphins.
Ogasawara has a low average residence age and a high birthrate,and it is thought that dolphin swim tours have contributed towards
this.

30

Total birth rate（2014）

National average

Ogasawara Village

1.42

1.82

8. Rules and Manners:
As mentioned earlier, Ogasawara has a set of voluntary rules that mustbe followed by whale watching, dolphin swim tour participants as well as
businesses. Shown below;
Voluntary Rules (for whale swim tours)

Cetaceans covered by rules: all species of Baleen whales, Sperm whales

Marine area covered by rules: within 20 miles of Ogasawara

Swimmers must decelerate (300meters)

Prohibited area (100meters) [50meters for Sperm whales]
Do not get in between the whale and it`s path
Decelerate when distance to whale is 300 meters or less
Stay beyond 100 meters (50 meters for Sperm whales)(OWA)
Voluntary Rules (for dolphin swim tours)

Regardless of displacement, only up to 4 vessels can approach a pod at a time

In the event of more than 2 vessels approaching the same pod, a maximum of 5 dives per boat is permitted

(OWA)

31

9. Current status of Humpback whales and Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphins
living in waters off Ogasawara:
Ogasawara Island gathers information on numbers of Humpback whales
and Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphins, and is shown in the graphs below;(Numbers of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins inhabiting waters off Ogasawara, OWA)

Starting in 2003, Ogasawara has been tagging dolphins with individual
identification trackers in order to ascertain the size of the population,
which is currently believed to be around 250 dolphins. The distribution
and range of the dolphins are also being tracked, and since there has beenno significant change in either, Ogasawara believes that dolphins swim
tours have not driven dolphins away from it`s waters and is sustainable
for the dolphin population.
Regarding Humpback whales, please look at the graph below.

32

(Number of Humpback Whales inhabiting waters off Ogasawara, OWA)

The figures in the graph above were through collected through December
to May from a weather station that also conducts fixed-point observationof Humpback whales. The numbers on the y-axis are the numbers of
Humpback whales that were sighted in a span of thirty minutes, and onday`s where the sea condition was stable, thirty minute observations
were carried out each day. Although the graph uses the newest available
data, we found out from the results that especially during peak season,
the numbers of whale sightings were below average. As far as we can tellfrom this graph, there seems to be no overall decrease in the number of
Humpback whales that visit Ogasawara.
10. As mentioned previously, Ogasawara was registered as a World
Heritage site in June 2011 and immediately after this, tourist numbers
peaked, increasing by 60%, with whale watching and dolphin swim tour
participants increasing accordingly. After this however, tourist numbers
began to decrease, and currently numbers have decreased by 25% frompeak levels, and accordingly, participants in whale watching tours are
decreasing as well. The price of whale watching and dolphin swim tours
increased when Ogasawara became a World Heritage site, and these33

prices continue to be maintained, and workers earn around 130,000yen to200,000yen per month. (in most cases, room and board is paid by theemployer) Compared to the average level of income in Japan, (salary of
4.14 million yen or monthly wage of
345,000yen [data provided by Tax Bureau]) income is low, and combined with therelatively high price living expenses in Ogasawara compared to the restof Japan, whale watching and dolphin swim tour workers must have an
austere lifestyle. Job retention amongst whale watching and dolphinswimming tour workers is an important issue.
On the other hand, as mentioned earlier, the probability of encountering
humpback whales and indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins is increasing andincreasing numbers of foreign tourists from Europe and North America
where whale watching and dolphin swim tours are popular, points a
positive picture for Ogasawara.
Cetaceans that can be sighted in Ogasawara:
Small Cetaceans

Spinner Dolphin
Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin

Large Cetaceans

Sperm Whale
Humpback Whale(provided by OWA)

34

(provided by OWA)

11. Amakusa (Kumamoto)・Shimabara (Nagasaki)
Year

Number of

Number ofBusinesses

tour

Total sales

Number ofMonthly wage

workers

participants
2008

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

2015

Around 15

Around180 million yen

Around 20

130,000yen~180,000yen

vessels

90,000(approximately)

1. Number of businesses:
Kumamoto: 12
Nagasaki: around 3
2. Annual number of passengers:
Around 90,000 people
3. Numbers of workers:
Captains + Local offices + others: around 20
4. Whale watching season:

35

Year-round tours are available
5. Recent History:
We were told that Amakusa began offering whale watching tours around20 years ago, while the current operating model was adopted from around2008.
6. Whale watching in Amakusa and Shimabara:
In general, whale watching businesses are run as a side business byfishermen or by other cruise boat operators. (Some businesses run
dolphin watching as a main business and whale watching as a sidebusiness.) Tour boats mainly consist of small motor yachts commonlyused in scuba diving tours, with a displacement of around 9 tons, which
are relatively small vessels but do confer some particular advantages.
While there are offices that coordinate booking and reservations, inAmakusa the guides on the tour boats themselves try and draw inpassengers, which is quite a rare thing amongst tour boat operators.
7. Uniqueness of Amakusa and Shimabara:
In Amakusa, it is possible to encounter a relatively wide variety ofdolphin species only 10 minutes cruise from the harbor. Dolphin watching
tours are rather short at around 1 to 1.5 hours duration. However, whenembarking from ports other than Goshyoku port, extra time is needed
travelling back and forth from the dolphin watching spot. There is a podof around 200 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphins living in waters nearby,
and the probability of encountering them is high.
8. Changes in customer base in Amakusa:
In recent years, there has been an increase in individual participants,
relative to participants on group tours. Once again, there were quite afew foreign tourists, and indeed there was a visitor from France on oursame tour. Out of all foreign tourists, visitors from Europe and North
America seem to be particularly high in number.

36

9. Issues in Amakusa:
Kumamoto prefecture, in which Amakusa is located, experienced a major
earthquake in 2016 and suffered major damage. Localities involved indolphin watching were spared from significant material damage, yet issuffering from a dramatic decrease in tourist numbers. This is also
happening in neighboring Shimabara region. Participants in dolphin
watching tours have also been captured by neighboring prefectures,
which a major issue concerning reconstruction in Kumamoto.
Additionally, dolphin watching tours in Amakusa have a low price ofaround 2,500yen for one adult. (depending on the specific region)
Workers receive various discounts, and as a result earn around
150,000yen, which is not a high level of income. One of the main issues in
Amakusa seems to be how to increase the total amount of sales.

(Scenes of dolphin watching in Amakusa)

37

12. Amami-Oshima (Okinawa)・Okinoerabushima (Kagoshima)
Year

Number of

Number ofBusinesses

tour

Total sales

NumberofMonthly wage

workers

participants
2008

0

0

0

2015

9

AroundAround

1,200

million yen

7

0

0

Unknown

Around 130,000 yen

1. Number of businesses in Amami region (including Amami-Oshima andOkinoerabushima):
Amami-Oshima: 7
Okinoerabushima: around 2
2. Annual number of passengers:
1,000~2,000 people
3. Number of workers:
Unknown (most also work in scuba diving tours)
4. Season:
January to April
5. Recent History:
Ever since whale watching became popular in Okinawa, due to the factthat humpback whales can be sighted off it`s shores, Amami-Oshima
began feasibility studies for whale watching from around 2006. It beganoffering whale watching tours in 2013. There were 250 participants in2014, and 500 in 2015, showing an upwards trend. Okinoerabushima
began offering whale watching tours as an option on it`s scuba diving
tours starting in 2008.
6. Whale watching style:38

Whale watching businesses are generally run alongside scuba diving
businesses, and in one such business, is run as a side business by afishing boat. The majority of tour boats are small motor yachts used inscuba diving tours.
7. Uniqueness of Amami region:
Amami is unique in that it offers whale swim tours, where a participant
can swim alongside a whale. Once again, rules have been established forparticipating in swimming with whales. Whale swim tours are conductedwith only a few participants at a time. Whale watching businesses on
Amami-Oshima cooperate with each other, and share information,
increasing the chances of humpback whale (a main attraction during
winter months) encounters.
8. Issues and future potential of Amami region:
Whale watching only began very recently on Amami-Oshima, andnumbers of participants remain low. On the other hand, the number ofparticipants, while low, has doubled every year and there is much reason
for high expectations. Due to this, the issue is how to respond toincreasing numbers of participants in whale swim tours, while making
sure that each tour group has only a few participants. Okinoerabushima
has only a few whale watching businesses, and as a result there was little
information of whale watching on the island.

13. Zamami (Okinawa)

39

Year

Number of

Number of

Total sales

NumberBusinesses

tour

of

participants

workers

Monthly wage

2008

22

Around 5,300

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

201518

Around 6,000

3 million yen

50

130,000yen(approximate)~200,000yen

1. Annual number of passengers:
6,000 people (includes some passengers who made multiple voyages)
2. Species of whales that can be seen:
Humpback whale
3. Whale watching tour fee:
5,000 yen per adult
4. Total sales:
30 million yen
5. Number of businesses:
18 (out of which, 15 are run as a side business by scuba diving tour
businesses, 2 are run as a side business by kayak tour businesses, andone is run as a side business by a fisherman)
6. Income of workers:
150,000yen to 200,000yen monthly wage
7. Number of reservations:See below;

40

Whale watching tour reservations made on Zamami

Number of reservations

Year

8. Zamami Village Whale Watching Association:①

Recent history: Zamami Village Whale Watching Association was set
up around 20 years ago and the businesses on the island have been
conducting whale watching tours ever since. There are no businesses
that exclusively operate whale-watching tours, yet whale watching isimportant for generating income during the off-season and has
allowed businesses to retain workers year round. The income ofworkers used to be below the minimum wage of Okinawa prefecture,but in recent years has remained at levels equal to the minimum
wage.

②

Probability of encountering whales:
The probability of encountering whales has increased to its current
level at over 90% due to an increase in the whale population as wellas increased technical proficiency by tour operators.

③

Recent topics:
In the past few years, numbers of foreign tourists have seen an
overwhelmingly increase compared to previous years. In a survey
conducted in 2008, the percentage of foreigners in Okinawa wasconcluded to be around 5% of the population of Okinawa, however atpresent, this figure is closer to 30%.

41

9. Issues:
Although workers can earn a decent income, it is still insufficient for
supporting a family. As a result, workers leaving their jobs due tomarriage, childbirth or bringing up children is not so uncommon.
Although worker`s incomes are higher than they used to be, whale
watching still does not offer stable employment. Thus, the main issue is
how to create a system of wage payments that lead to stable employment
and job retention.

14. Okinawa main island (Okinawa)
Year

Number of

Number ofBusinesses

tour

Total sales

Number ofMonthly wage

workers

participants
2008

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

2015

Around 1

Around220 million

Over 70

Unknown

83,700yen(approximate)

1. Number of businesses offering whale watching on the Main Island:South-Central Okinawa Main Island: 10
Northern Okinawa Main Island: 5
It is possible that there are additional shops offering whale
watching tours. (researched by Okinawa Chyura-umi Zaidan)
2. Number of participant in whale watching tours:
South-Central Okinawa Main Island: around 45,020 people
Northern Okinawa Main Island: around 8,707 people※ Additional figures obtained from survey hearing and an
estimation of the number of participants in businesses that we could
not obtain data from42

3. Average number of guides present on a whale watching tour:
South-Central Okinawa Main Island: 3~12 workers
Northern Okinawa Main Island: 2~8 workers
4. Price of whale watching tour:
South-Central Okinawa Main Island: 4,200yen to 4,800 per adult(4,200yen was the most common price on offer)
Northern Okinawa Main Island: 4,300yen to 4,800yen per adult(4,500yen and 4,800yen were the most common price on offer)※ Most shops offer a 1,000yen discount for children
5. Whale watching style:
The majority of whale watching businesses are run as side businesses.
The whale watching boats tend to be relatively large motor yachts, suchas those used for scuba diving tours. Whale watching season is during thewinter months. (January to April)

43

Acknowledgments:
We would like to thank the various groups and individuals thatcooperated with us for this survey hearing. We offer our deepest
gratitude.
Special Thanks to;Professor Mori, Teikyo University of Science
Shiretoko Ransu Tourism Association
Shiretoko Nature Cruises
Star Marine limited
Noto Island Tourism Association
Choushi Ocean Research Institute
Mikurashima Tourism Association
Nanki Leisure Marine Service limited
Whale watching vessel “Kiyo-maru”
Kushimoto Diving Park
Whale watching vessel “Kokai-maru
Ogata Tour/Fishing vessel owners Association
Usa Whale watching Association
Ogasawara Whale watching Association
Sea-TacClub Noah Hahajima
Amami Whale・Dolphin Association
Muga-Muga Diving
GT Divers Okinoerabushima
Okinawa Churashima Foundation
15 whale, dolphin watching businesses on Okinawa main island
Other groups and individuals who responded to our research via
telephone44