09-07-2014 15:00

Japanese whalers went back to their centuries-old tradition of hunting whales on Thursday.

Workers in a coastal town can be seen carving up one of the animals as a crowd of students stood around, with free samples of its fried meat handed out later.

Children from two elementary schools on a field trip watched as workers from a whaling company butchered the whale.

The annual event took place in the town of Wada, south of Tokyo, a week into Japan’s first coastal whaling season since a global court halted the country’s better-known Antarctic whaling in March.

Though environmentalists condemn whaling, Japan maintains it is an important part of its food heritage.

The 30-foot-long whale was the worker’s sixth catch this season and they plan to catch 24 more before whaling season ends in late August.

Difficult words: hand out (give for free), annual (happening every year), halt (stop), condemn (to say that you don’t agree with something), heritage (tradition).

Source: www.itn.co.uk