This book examines the impact and implications of Japan's withdrawal from the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW), which came into effect in July 2019. The book reveals that this is not just a matter of whaling but one which has significant legal, managerial and cultural implications. Drawing on deep analyses of IWC structures, the book addresses core philosophies underlying the whaling debate and in how far these may influence environmental governance in the future.