This "Monstrum" episode explores the Bake-kujira, a ghostly whale from Japanese folklore, and connects the legend to Japan’s history, culture, and environmental change. The video explains how whales were once honored in coastal communities through ceremonies, whale graves, prayers, and spiritual beliefs tied to Ebisu and yokai traditions. It traces the shift from sustainable whaling to industrial whaling, showing how overhunting led to population collapse, conservation movements, and international whaling bans. The episode also highlights Shigeru Mizuki, who popularized the Bake-kujira in 1969 as a skeletal whale omen associated with famine, plague, and disaster. Blending mythology, history, marine life, ecology, and climate change, the video shows how folklore can reflect real concerns about conservation, endangered species, and the human impact on ocean ecosystems.