Yoko Ono Speaks Up for Taiji Dolphins

All She Is Saying Is “Give Peace a Chance”

Yoko Ono speaks up for Taiji dolphins and adds her support for Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project and our Save Japan Dolphins campaign.

She Tweeted out to her over 4.7 million followers

The dolphin slaughter in #Taiji has to stop right away. As human beings they should be ashamed of themselves. yoko http://t.co/IOFtE2c3Oz

— Yoko Ono (@yokoono) September 16, 2014

And she posted on her official Facebook page:

This is the second time she has been vocal to end the horrific needless dolphin slaughter She joins the ranks of other celebrities that have used social media to blast the dolphin hunts and captivity.. Earlier this year, she posted an open letter to the town of Taiji on her blog and facebook page.

Here is Yoko Ono’s full statement.

TO THE JAPANESE FISHERMAN OF TAIJI
FROM YOKO ONO LENNON, 20 JANUARY 2014.Dear Japanese Fishermen of Taiji,

I understand how you must feel about the one-sided-ness of the West to be angry at your traditional capture and slaughter of Dolphins. But that tradition was made only when the world, and Japanese Fishermen did not know what it meant to do harm to the Dolphins. I’m sure you have heard so many speeches in which all of these things have been discussed. So I will not bore you with it.But I think you should think of this situation from the point-of-view of the big picture. Japan has gone through such hard times lately. And we need the sympathy and help of the rest of the world. It will give an excuse for big countries and their children in China, India and Russia to speak ill of Japan when we should be communicating our strong love for peace, not violence.I am sure that it is not easy, but please consider the safety of the future of Japan, surrounded by many powerful countries which are always looking for the chance to weaken the power of our country. The future of Japan and its safety depends on many situations, but what you do with Dolphins now can create a very bad relationship with the whole world.

The way you are insisting on a big celebration of killing so many Dolphins and kidnapping some of them to sell to the zoos and restaurants at this very politically sensitive time, will make the children of the world hate the Japanese.

For many, many years and decades we have worked hard to receive true understanding of the Japanese from the world. And, because of our effort, Japan is now respected as a country of good power and ingenuity. This did not happen without our efforts of many decades.

But what we enjoy now, can be destroyed literally in one day. I beg of you to consider our precarious situation after the nuclear disaster (which could very well effect the rest of the world, as well).

Please use political tact and cancel the festival which will be considered by the rest of the world as a sign of Japanese arrogance, ignorance, and love for an act of violence.

Thank you.

Yoko Ono Lennon
20 January 2014

cc Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe