Australia – Japan's major trading partner – filed its lawsuit with the court in The Hague yesterday.
Chief cabinet secretary Hirofumi Hirano called Australia's action "extremely regrettable".
Japan to carry out whale cull despite lawsuit
JAPAN said today it would stand firm in continuing its annual whale cull, a day after Australia launched a lawsuit in the International Court of Justice aiming to shut down the hunt, which kills hundreds of whales each year.