Reply #2: no, that will be tiny compared to the structural problems they have.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

The savings crisis, the banking crisis, the real estate bubble, the non-performing loans, their growing energy costs far outweigh any boycott about whaling. There is simply no comparison, not when they face real trouble from China.

Japan's economy is huge and could give two shits about whales or the resulting boycott. Even the meat imports from the US will have no adverse impact. Other suppliers will fill the gap, especially NZ and Oz.
If the whale boycott causes a million in trade loss, remember that they have trillions in economic activity. It is like pouring a cup of water on the ground during a hurricane, and blaming that for a flood.