The first Taiji men to gaze upon the whaling grounds of the Antarctic Ocean went as part of a much larger expedition in 1936. But they still carried a heavy responsibility – of the eight whale catcher boats in that first Nisshin-Maru fleet, three had gunners from Taiji. These men were very succesful, and with their support increasing numbers of Taiji youths joined the expeditions to the icy southern seas.

昭和11年、南極海の捕鯨漁場が太地の男たちの前に初めて開かれたとき、出漁者は数えるほどしかいなかったが、そのうち3人は日新丸船団に所属する捕鯨船8隻のうちの3隻の砲手を務めた。彼らの後押しを受けて、以後太地から若い男たちが次々に遥か南の氷の海へと出漁するようになった。