The brand-new, nearly 93,000-tonne lead vessel for Japan’s whaling flotilla, the Kangei Maru, set sail on its maiden voyage on Tuesday, heralding a new era for an industry defended by the government as an integral part of Japanese culture. Until Japan pulled out of the International Whaling Commission in 2019, it was criticised for exploiting a loophole in the IWC's moratorium on commercial whaling that allows hunts for scientific purposes. Now, whaling has resumed in Japanese economic waters, making it one of only three countries to allow the practice, along with Norway and Iceland. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES