When one of our team members shared a photo from the Japan Airlines first class lounge in Tokyo, I couldn’t believe my eyes and thought that this must be one of those translation errors.
Surely Japan Airlinesc(JAL) wouldn’t be serving shark fin soup? Unfortunately, this sign is correct. I ran it through a couple of friends living in Japan. It is not linguistic mistake or “imitation” meat, but the real deal.
UPDATE: Japan Airlines has removed this item from its lounges:
Japan Airlines Removes Shark Fin Soup From Its Lounges
Shark fin soup is popular among the Chinese. It used to be very expensive and only few could afford it. Now that the standard of living is higher it is not out of reach from larger share of the population. Sharks are finned at the sea and rest of the fish thrown back to water to simply die.
Conclusion
It is very sad that Japan Airlines would offer shark fin soup at their first class lounges in Tokyo, if not elsewhere too. Many hospitality companies have banned this soup from their hotels’ restaurants.
The shark fin soup, however terrible dish, is not banned everywhere. It seems that it is ok for a Japanese Airline to serve it. Are we going to see this dish on their in-flight menus as well?
This seems like an odd thing about which people should be up in in arms. Would people feel differently if the entire shark was eaten?
Yes. Cutting a Sharks fins off and dumping them back into the sea is horrendous.
https://binged.it/2H46ta2
I hate the waste too but once it is dead, it’s dead!
IF YOU WATCH the video, you would see the fins are cut off while the shark is alive and it is then dumped in the water to drown.
Gregg, the shark is NOT dead when it is thrown back in the water!
Does that matter? I assume it then dies/bleeds out.
Going to give you a chance, go to the fish market and volunteer to find out yourself
Interesting, I wonder how your friends and family will think of that. I suppose you don’t plan to die????
Yes. I would feel very different. It would be like a criminal cutting off your arms and legs but not murdering you. Should the criminal be unpunished because you have not been murdered?
Well, except that since I am a person it is a rather poor analogy; limb removal vs. killing for a fish or whatever is perfectly legal and moral, no?
It’s moral to cause suffering for no good reason? It’s moral to contribute hugely to the extinction of a species?
You have a convenient definition of morality.
Legal yes. Moral -NOT
Many of the great minds have discussed the morality of killing animals. When you consider that animal abuse that maims and does not kill outright plagues a society that claims to be just and good you really can see that being a civilized human includes a just and kind attitude toward animals. Animals (even sharks) are not only food products meant for our sustenance, but also living and FEELING beings!
You are a better person than me. I hate sharks so I don’t care about them- they kill people! Check out the movie Jaws sometime.
They don’t go out to KILL people, people in the water present themselves as food. And don’t watch a movie to make you point. Unless you jab it up your ass.
NO!
I’m not sure I understand it either. People in general are OK with killing chicken/cow/pig for their meat, but a shark is no-no?
Chicken/cow/pig are grown for that purpose. Sharks are born free from cages and balance the life in the ocean. If you don’t understand that? Then you are a democrapt
I thought Democrats support PETA and animal rights whiel Republicans are about the free market/no regulations. Is that not correct?
As soon as you get an education, you may not reply to me again.
“whiel Republicans”
Democraps support themselves and what they spit out the rest of us are “ÄLLOWED” to eat
Most likely imitation. There is a way to check, roll it against the table and if it breaks apart then it it imitation. If it doesnt break apart then it is real but that is too expensive to serve especially at a lounge.
Don’t they have to label it that way? Is the real stuff any good?
No taste. Looks like a yellowish noodle.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f262bac3b52ccdd961737f578f41e8da97df30038b62c9b75769566990f1b040.jpg
Get serious. Did they force you to eat it?
Getting serious is exactly why this was posted.
I went to the barber shop and they cut my hair off. They threw it in the trash. They did not even send it to the left coast to be recycled. I am so upset!
That is because they already have all the shit they need.
This is HORRIBLE. Shame on you, Japan Airlines. 🙁 Sharks are a vulnerable species due to human activities but they play a vital role in the ocean food chain. If they go extinct, because of stupid humans wanting to eat a damn soup, we humans are screwed… if we’re not already given the other host of environmental problems we still don’t give a damn about…
If Japan Airlines is so shameful for you then why bother to fly with them? Did they chop the shark fins in front of you? Did they force you to eat?
Please grown up. Cheers.
Does something have to be done in front of you for it to be an issue? Believe it or not, the answer is no. Just because he didn’t see it happen or eat it doesn’t mean he can’t call it out.
Fuck off! You evidently don’t understand being a human and denying yourself one small “PLEASURE” And let the Sharks alone.
This is up there with poaching elephants for their tusks and rhinos for their horn.
Can we expect to see ivory furnishings in the JAL lounge next?
This is not acceptable.
Hopefully someone from JAL senior management recognizes the poor decision and puts a stop to it.
While you are on topic of JAL, I had 6 hour mechanical delay with them and they are refusing any compensation. Is this typical? If anyone has any suggestions, would greatly appreciate hearing.
Yeah, that IS unusual to offer nothing at all. When I was delayed 3 hours on JAL leaving Narita last year, they at least offered me free Sakura Lounge access until boarding (I asked them about possibly purchasing access to be able to wait somewhere nicer, they went and asked “in the back”, came back and said I could have it for free due to the delay), and in a more recent case of overbooking they handed me nearly US$100 equivalent cash even though they rebooked me on an ANA flight leaving only half an hour later. Point is, I’ve never had them offer nothing when things go wrong. Ask if there’s a higher level that can be escalated to.
If you feel it so disgusting, then just don’t eat it or don’t take Japan Airlines.
Do I know you? Do you go under the name of ASSHOLE?
I think it would be worth contacting JAL to ask if this is genuine or imitation shark fin soup – although even if imitation there’s arguably an issue with promoting this dish at all, albeit a far lesser ‘sin’.
Just don’t eat it if you are offended. Why write an article about it?
There is a moral stand to take considering the inhumane “harvest”. This is not about ignoring an inanimate object like a flag or a hat. This is about a living thing that is treated like garbage. Get with the program. Is your heart and soul made of lead?
To inform others who unlike you, I guess, would like to make conscious choices & NOT contribute to the unnecessary suffering of another being, as well as to the extinction of yet another species.
Sharks do not feel pain due to lack of reseptors:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/genuinely-conscious/201703/do-sharks-feel-pain
I am an animal lover too, but be reasonable guys. We are talking about a killer fish which does not feel pain, but make other fish (and sometimes human beings too) feel pain!
Did you check the chicken if it felt pain?
Good point. So let’s not eat chicken either :/
Shame on any country that uses shark Fin.
Why don’t they just grind up their babies and say it is shark fin.