A small Japanese fleet caught their first whales on Monday in the first commercial hunt in more than three decades.
Five ships sailed out of Kushiro in northern Japan, on Monday, while three whaling boats left Shimonoseki in southwestern Japan.
According to reports, the ships have a permit to catch 227 whales - minke, Bryde's and sei - before the end of the year.
Tokyo had announced in December its decision to leave the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to resume hunting.
It was in 1986 that Japan had stopped commercial hunting and switched to so-called research whaling a year later.
At least 14 killed in explosion at weapons depot in Syria
US hits five Iranian oil tankers after attack on Navy ships
UK gives air traffic provider a week to probe outage that halted flights
Serbia's President Vucic dissolves parliament, calls snap elections
With large crowds attending, Norway lays King Harald to rest
Jordan intercepts 18 Iranian ballistic missiles
Air traffic control issue disrupts flights at major UK airports
At least 73 injured after Houthi rebels attack Saudi civilian and energy facilities
