For years the activity has pitted Japan against activists who call it inhumane and unsustainable
In 2014, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Japan’s whaling programme did not qualify as scientific and should cease.
That season Japan sent whaling ships to the ocean, but, respecting the verdict, returned with no catch.
Smaller hunt, big opposition
The Japanese government says its new whaling programme takes into account that ICJ decision and is now much smaller.
The hunt will aim to capture 333 Antarctic minke whales, about one-third of what it used to kill.
It will also conduct non-lethal research, including sighting surveys and the collection of biopsy samples.
Four ships will be involved in the hunt, including the 8,000 tonne mother ship, the Nisshin Maru.
