Astonishingly, 87% were surprised to learn that their tax money was being used to subsidise the whaling operation.

Conducted by Nippon Research Centre Ltd, a member of Gallup International Association, the poll was designed to provide the views of the Japanese public on the Japanese whaling programme.

The poll found that in general 31% of people backed whaling, 25% opposed it and 44% had no opinion. Among those who said they were neither for nor against whaling in principle, over 80% disagreed with whaling on the high seas. Even among those who favoured whaling, almost 40% disagreed with whaling on the high seas. In summary, some 71% of Japanese people do not support high seas whaling.

"Greenpeace adds its voice to the overwhelming majority of the Japanese people and once more calls for the whaling fleet to be immediately recalled from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary," said Greenpeace Japan's whale campaign coordinator, Junichi Sato.

In the context of the generally low level of awareness of the whaling issue within Japan, the poll also revealed that 87% had no idea that the Japanese government subsidises research whaling with about 500 million yen ($US 4.7 million) annually.

"100% of Japanese taxpayers support research whaling - whether they agree with it or not - with their tax money. It is time for Japanese taxpayers, businesses and politicians to ask why they are paying 500 million yen every year to fund a research programme that produces science nobody needs, and whale meat that very few eat. It is time to ask why we continue to tarnish our international reputation with this scandal.

"The conclusions of the poll come in stark contrast to the myth promoted by the Fisheries Agency of Japan that, by killing whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, it is acting in defence of Japanese culture and with the support of its people. Most Japanese people have little knowledge of what is being done in their name and with their money, while the majority do not support the ongoing hunt," concluded Sato.

"Greenpeace adds it voice to the overwhelming majority of the Japanese people and once more calls for the whaling fleet to be immediately recalled from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary," concluded Sato.

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