'A way of life': Japan's whalers back treaty withdrawal Japan sparked outrage in December when it decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission, saying it would return to commercial whaling as part of its cultural heritage. In the tiny Japanese town of Minamiboso, home to a local whaling company, most people are unmoved by the controversy. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES.+ATTN CLIENTS: VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES OF WHALE SLAUGHTER+