鯨族供養塔

函館市観光標識

函館は、幕末から捕鯨との縁は深く、安政４年（１８５７年）幕府が中浜万次郎（ジョン万次郎）を函館に派遣して捕鯨の指導をさせたり、またドイツ（当時プロシャ）船などから捕鯨を学んだ事跡がある。背美鯨の模型が据えられているこの供養塔は、遠洋捕鯨会社の船長兼捕鯨船の砲手「天野太輔」が昭和３２年９月に建てたもので、生業とはいえ殺生の罪深さを痛感した天野翁８３歳の殊勝の所業である。　太陽漁業、日本水産他捕鯨会社の賛助で、碑文に「明治四十年以来捕鯨二従事セシコト　二十六年長キニ及ビ其ノ間二於ケル捕鯨頭数実ニ　二千数百頭二達セリ・・・・・」と刻まれている。　　函館市

THE TOWER BUILT FOR THE LOST WHALES Hakodate has been closely connected with whale fishing since the last days of the Tokugawa government. In 1857 the shogunates sent Manjiro Nakahama (John Manjiro) here to Hakodate to give guidance in whaling. There is also a historic fact that people learned whaling from German ships (Prussian of those days). This tower with a model arctic whale was set in August 1957 by Tasuke Amano、 who was a harpooner and a captain in deep-sea whaling. The old sea-farer Amano at the age of 83、 though it was his living、 was conscious of his sinful killing. With the aid of Taiyogyogyo、Nipponsuisan、and other whaling companies、an inscription was engraved、26 yeras long years has passed since I was engaged in whaling. Approximately 2、500〜2、600 Whales were lost in this tragic period. . . . 　　THE CITY OF HAKODATE