In 2019, Japan resumed commercial whale hunting.
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The country withdrew from the International Whaling Commission after more than 60 years.
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Japan became a member of IWC in 1951.
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It stopped whaling in accordance with a moratorium adopted by the commission in 1982.
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Sometimes whales were hunted in Japan for “research purposes” (in 1987 and 1994).
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The international community then criticized these actions, noting that they were a cover for commercial whaling.
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The meat of the caught whales was sold on the domestic market.
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Tokyo continued to lobby for the resumption of commercial whaling for certain species (such as minke whales) over the past 30 years as a member of the IWC.
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However, its attempts to resume whaling were blocked each time by so-called anti-whaling countries.
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Some sources note that under the guise of scientific research, Japanese whalers hunted whales and their meat was used, in particular, in school lunches.
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It was alleged that each winter Japan illegally killed more than 900 minke whales.
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Japan allowed the killing of whales for meat because it is "part of the country's culture".
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As the Kyodo agency noted, whale meat was the main source of nutrition for the country's residents in the post-war period.
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In the 1960s, the Japanese annually ate up to 200 thousand tons of whale meat.
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The decision of the Japanese authorities was criticized by activists and countries that are not involved in whaling.
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However, the Japanese whaling community welcomed the decision.
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On July 1 2019, five boats set out from the port of Kushiro in northern Japan to hunt whales.
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Vessels were planning to go hunting from other Japanese ports.
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The Fisheries Agency set a limit of 227 whales per season until the end of December that year.
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Japan planned to limit hunting to only its territorial waters, without going into Antarctic or southern hemisphere waters.
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Warning: these questons and answers are not all representative of the way questions will be asked and answered in the pilot, because some questions are compound and some answers do not include citations.

Q: When did Japan resume commercial whale hunting?
A: In 2019

Q: What organization did Japan withdraw from prior to resuming commercial whale hunting?
A: The International Whaling Commission 

Q: How long was Japan a member of the International Whaling Commission?
A: For more than 60 years

Q: When did Japan become a member of the International Whaling Commission?
A: In 1951

Q: Why did Japan stop commercial whale hunting?
A: Because of a moratorium on whale hunting adopted by the International Whaling commission

Q: When was a moratorium on whale hunting adopted by the International Whaling commission?
A: In 1982

Q: For what purposes were whales sometimes hunted in Japan after 1982?
A: For research purposes

Q: Why did the international community criticize Japan hunting whales for research purposes?
A: Because it was thought they were a cover for commercial whaling

Q: What species of whales did Japan lobby for the resumption of commercial hunting for as a member of the International Whaling Commission?
A: Minke whales

Q: How long did Japan lobby for the resumption of commercial hunting of minke whales as a member of the International Whaling Commission?
A: For 30 years

Q: Where was the meat of the whales allegedly caught for research purposes sold?
A: On the domestic market

Q: How was the meat of the whales allegedly caught for research purposes used?
A: In school lunches

Q: How many minke whales did Japan allegedly illegally kill each winter while under the moratorium?
A: More than 900

Q: Why did Japan allow the killing of whales for meat?
A: Because it is part of the country's culture

Q: What role did whale meat play in Japan’s nutrition in the post-war period?
A: It was the main source of nutrition for the country's residents

Q: How much whale meat did the Japanese annually eat in the 1960s?
A: Up to 200 thousand tons

Q: Who was the decision of the Japanese authorities to resume commercial whale hunting criticized by?
A: ActivistsA: Countries that are not involved in whaling

Q: Who was the decision of the Japanese authorities to resume commercial whale hunting welcomed by?
A: The Japanese whaling community 

Q: When did the first boats set out from the port of Kushiro in northern Japan to hunt whales?
A: On July 1 2019

Q: What was the annual limit the Fisheries Agency set a limit per season until the end of December?
A: 227 whales 

Q: Which waters did Japan plan to limit whale hunting to?
A: Its territorial waters