Taiji

<p>The little coastal village of Taiji, Japan is lauded as the birthplace of Japanese whaling. Today the secret of 'The Cove' and Taiji's annual dolphin hunt is out.</p><p><br></p><p>Set amid the activists' frontline battle to protect Taiji's dolphins, <em>'Taiji'</em> brings a bigger untold story to readers. It sets out the conflict against the backdrop of Japanese history and culture; documenting its duality set in stark contrast against the high spirituality of the nearby Kumano region.</p><p><br></p><p>Drawing on his three trips to Japan, Len Varley details his mysterious encounters with a number of captive dolphins. Interactions with police and dolphin hunters. There is action and intrigue; loyalty and loss.</p><p><br></p><p><em>'Taiji'</em> is a broad canvas which the author paints lovingly-sometimes hard-bitten, sometimes in wonderment-but always with his trademark sensitivity and respect for life.</p><p><br></p><p>As a work which observes an example of human mishandling of interactions with nature and wildlife, its messages remain timeless and relevant.</p>