Project Anima
Introduction
Dolphins and whales are like soul families
I want them to take action because they love it!
The seeds of that desire finally sprouted
in 2022 in the form of Project Anima.
Hello, my name is Leina.
When I was 14, I fell into a deep depression.
That experience, which became the turning point of my life,
felt as if I had been reborn.
Just as I was supported by wonderful guides on land,
in the ocean the dolphins guided
my journey of inner transformation.
Without them, I would not be who I am today.
Dolphins are like the native people of the sea.
They have their own language, culture, and wisdom.
From them, I received the essence of “Being”
— a way of existence.
it is……
To exist with pure joy
Don't judge, live in the moment
By resonating deeply with them
It reminds us of unconditional love.
Spending time with the dolphins awakens me to my true self
At the same time, awareness of all life on Earth is expanding.
And that the Earth, Gaia, is a living entity.
I can now feel it.
The world, in many places, is longing for love.
When I asked myself where the deepest joy truly lives,
the answer was clear —
it was in the ocean, with the dolphins and whales.
I began to wonder:
How can I express this love and joy to the world?
Where should I be, and what should I do?
It was during this time of questioning
that I heard about “The Cove” in Taiji, Wakayama,
more than ten years ago.
I was born in Japan, but from the age of one I lived in
Europe, Hawaii,and in different countries around the world.
Because I am Japanese,
people in Europe and America often spoke to me critically
about Japan’s treatment of whales and dolphins.
What had long concerned me
was that many people in Japan do not know
what is happening in Japanese seas.
I cannot say clearly that information is politically hidden,
but I do feel that this is an issue the government does not wish to face.
Regarding the dolphin hunts that take place regularly in Taiji,
I have long felt that I must do something —
that I cannot remain without taking action.
When I first learned about this reality,
deep sadness, anger, and mistrust rose within me.
I felt that I could not act from those emotions alone.
In time, as my own consciousness grew,
I came to understand that nothing truly new can be born
from the energy of opposition and fighting.
I realized that this way was not aligned with who I am.
Recently, I encountered the concepts of
Sacred Activism and Active Hope.
They speak of acting in partnership
with nature, with Gaia —with the deep knowing that
we are sustained by something greater than ourselves.
I felt called to act from a place of respect for the Earth.
What drives this movement is joy, hope, unity, and the heart.
These are also the teachings the dolphins have given me.
Now, I wish to move forward in oneness with them.
This term was introduced by Joanna Macy.
When we wish for something — for example,
that the world becomes a better place —
it is not something that someone else will resolve for us.
Such wishing is often based on the belief
that we ourselves have no power.
Active Hope means taking action ourselves
to help bring into being what we hope for.
Project Anima
philosophy
Anima is a Latin word meaning “soul.”
It is also the root of the words animal and animism.
Animism was once a central worldview in Japan during the Jōmon era —
the understanding that wind, stones, flowers, and trees all possess a spirit,
and that human beings are part of this greater web of nature.
Shinto emerged from this way of seeing the world.
Modern society has built a civilization
that often separates itself from the natural world.
Yet the way of being that recognizes connection with all things,
and respect for all life, was once at the foundation of Japanese culture.
Through sharing the truth about dolphins and whales in Japan,
Project Anima wishes to extend an invitation —
an invitation to remember our connection with the Earth, with Gaia.
Dialogue with Children: Seeing the World from a New Perspective
When children learn about what is happening on Earth today,
new perspectives begin to emerge.
Within them grows the power to feel and think for themselves.
Simple and natural questions may arise.
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Where do the dolphins and whales in aquariums come from?
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What kind of lives did they live before coming here?
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Do you think they have names and individual personalities?
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Where do their families live?
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What might dolphins in aquariums be feeling?
-
In our time, what does it mean to eat fish or meat?
How does it affect the Earth?
✨ ✨ ✨
Furthermore, with adults we explore deeper themes:
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The kind of ocean — and Earth — we wish to leave for the children.
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The ideal relationship between children and the natural world.
What each of us, as adults, can do — and how we wish to be.
About Deep Ecology
Deep Ecology is a term coined
by the Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss.
The activist John Seed, while in the Australian rainforest, had a sudden realization:
It was not the individual personality —
“I, John Seed” — who was trying to save the forest.
Rather, the living forest itself,
the Earth — Gaia —was acting through him,
seeking to protect its own life.
In that moment,
he awakened beyond the individual self,
recognizing himself as an expression of Gaia.
This way of being becomes
the foundation for actions and choices
that arise from living in partnership with nature.
Mountains, plants, animals…
all forms of life share the same living essence as we do.
When we act on behalf of the natural world,
Gaia’s voice is expressed through us.
In this way, activism becomes an expression of deep love
and an integrated act of wholeness.
And perhaps we begin to remember
a distant truth —that we are part of the living Gaia.
Art through music
Supporting Japan's dolphins and whales
Activism Campaign 🐋
Become a Project Anima Ambassador!
Become a Project Anima Ambassador 🌟
After becoming the mother of two children, Naia and Manoa,
I began to feel the preciousness of life even more deeply,
and the vision of a project I had long held in my heart returned to me.
It was about the whales and dolphins of Japan.
Although commercial whaling is said to be internationally restricted,
whaling continues in Hokkaido.
In Taiji, Wakayama, dolphins are captured through drive hunts
and sold to aquariums.
Those not selected are killed.
I learned about this reality while I was living in Europe.
It is something that happens every year.
I began to ask myself:
What can I do, as a Japanese person?
I felt a deep wish to support their existence,
and a strong calling to begin this work in Japan.
I want many people in Japan to come to know more
about the consciousness of dolphins and whales.
Then, through a moment of inspiration, I thought:
As someone who loves freediving,
how exciting would it be
if I could share this message through these beautiful fins!
In collaboration with the Australian artist Naomi Gittoes,
who creates fins like works of art,
Project Anima’s original fins were born.
Through things that are beautiful, joyful, and inspiring,
I hope people can come to know this project.
Beyond freediving fins,
I also hope to develop in Japan a sustainable brand
featuring original designs created in collaboration
with artists from Japan and around the world.
With Australian artist Naomi Gittoes
Carbon freediving fins in collaboration with DiveR
These fins are sold in Japan, America and Europe.
A portion of the profits will go towards supporting projects, particularly "Music for the Dolphins & Whales of the Taiji Whale Museum."
This collaborative artwork was created from a deep wish:
to convey, through beauty,
the reality of what is happening in Japan today —
a truth that stands at the heart of this project.
The whales depicted are a mother and calf of the sei whale species,who are killed each year in Japanese waters.
It also reflects the dolphin drive hunts that take place annually in Taiji, Wakayama.
There, only the most “beautiful” dolphins are selected and sold to aquariums, while the others are killed.
In the lower right, a young albino dolphin appears —
a luminous being, almost like a symbol of light.
Her name is Angel. She was captured in January 2014
and now lives in a museum in Taiji.
This artwork was created with the hope that
people may remember that dolphins and whales
are part of our precious ocean family.
Just like the universe, the ocean has no concepts or limitations
Whales flying in the universe called the ocean
They are the wise men of the sea
It has watched our Earth for hundreds of millions of years.
An incredibly deep consciousness
This painting depicts whales of unconditional love waiting for the day when we humans become our true selves.
Coral reefs are often called the forests of the sea.
Within them live plankton so small
they are almost invisible,
yet they support an immense web of marine life.
Both coral and plankton also play a vital role
in helping to purify the air we breathe.
The Earth we wish to move toward
is one filled with this kind of joy —
a beautiful, living planet.
This artwork evokes that vision.
By purchasing fins, you will become
a Project Anima Goodwill Ambassador.
I would be very happy if you could share our thoughts with us.
If you don't freedive, you don't need fins.
If there are people who sympathize with this project,
Supporting us through donations
A heartfelt welcome
We will keep you updated on new developments on our website
Communicating with dolphins and whales through music 🐋🌟
And the next thing that truly excites me
is communicating with them through music.
Dolphins and whales live in a world of sound.
The nostalgic songs of humpback whales…
Dolphins, who perceive their world through sonar.
In the 1970s, as research into dolphin intelligence was
developing in the United States,
there were messages shared suggesting something extraordinary:
If beings from elsewhere in the universe were ever
to make contact with Earth,
the first contact might not be with humans,
but with the civilizations of dolphins and whales —
beings who have lived peacefully on this planet for millions of years.
In preparation for possible contact with other life in the cosmos,
explorations began into communicating
with the “alien-like” consciousness
already present in Earth’s oceans — dolphins and whales.
As research continued,
some began to suggest that what comes closest
to the language of dolphins and whales may be music.
When I first read about this,
I felt an incredible sense of excitement.
Music is a Universal Language
Beyond words
Beyond borders and race
It has the power to connect consciousness and heart
I have been inspired by the work of Jim Nollman,
who communicates with all beings through music.
I hope to collaborate with musicians in Japan and around the world
to connect with dolphins and whales through sound.
To share joyful resonance through music
with the wild dolphins and whales living in the seas of Japan.
And also to visit the dolphins who were captured
in drive hunts and now live in aquariums.
I may not be able to return them to the ocean — not yet.
But through music,
I feel we can let them know
that we are sending love to our ocean family.
We see you
We see your spirit
Your past, your family, your friends,
Your home, the wide, living Ocean
you have come from
And that you belong to
We see you
And you are not forgotten
We stand by you
Around the world, more and more countries are beginning to prohibit
the captivity of dolphins and whales in aquariums.
Australia, the United Kingdom, Cyprus,
Costa Rica, Chile, India, and France.
In India, since 2013, dolphins and whales have been recognized
by the government as “Non-Human Persons” —
beings who are persons, though not in human form.
At the same time, sanctuaries for dolphins and whales
who once lived in aquariums
are increasing in different parts of the world.
These places include rehabilitation centers,
where dolphins can receive support to relearn life in the ocean.
Some are eventually released back into the wild.
Others, who are older and unable to return to the sea,
can retire and spend the rest of their lives
in wide, protected areas connected to the ocean.
I hope that one day, in the near future,
such sanctuaries will be born in Japan.
Thank you all, from my heart, for your support.
