TOKYO — Japan has enticed children with whale burger school lunches, sung the praises of the red meat in colorful pamphlets, and declared whale hunting “a national heritage. But Tokyo has a dilemma: by rapidly expanding its whale hunt, Japan now kills more of the giant mammals than its consumers care to eat. The result is an unprecedented glut of whale meat. Prices € once about $15 a pound € are plunging, inventories are bursting, and promoters are scrambling to get Japanese to eat more whale. It’s a tough sell. “To put it simply, whale meat tastes horrible, said 30-year-old Kosuke Nakamura, one of the diners at a Hana No Mai restaurant in Tokyo who turned their noses up at whale meat. Young people are put off by the tough, pungent meat, Nakamura said, while older Japanese are reminded of the lean years after the country’s defeat in World War II. And while few Japanese voice environmental concerns over hunting whales, some younger people say it has brought the country unfavorable publicity. “Whaling’s so bad for Japan’s image. I don’t know why we still hunt, Nakamura said. Some 1,035 tons of whale […]