reporter: one wonders how long these completely contradictory impulses can coexist in the waters around japan. ivan watson joins us live. you are at the departure ceremony for the first whale hunt. what are you seeing? reporter: we have a small fleet of japanese whaling boats, about five of them. i will let you see. that are going out for the day. you have lawmakers, government officials, the mayor who are going to see them off. in case you have never seep a whaling boat before in japan, the crow s nest is where the crew, hunters, spot whales in the water. then the harpoon guns in front, the weapons, are currently covered up by tarps. those will be used potentially to bring in prey this evening. the japanese government subsy di sub ssidizes it. some think this is a good thing