Wakayama Prefecture Taiji has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall.

Taiji's annual dolphin hunt is a subject of controversy and the town faces continued pressure from protest groups.

[6] Wada Chūbei organized the group hunting system (刺手組) and introduced a new handheld harpoon in 1606.

The people of Taiji experienced great loss and economic hardship after an incident in 1878, when a large group of whalers were lost at sea while hunting a whale.

Refusing to cut the whale loose until it was too late, many whalers drowned or were otherwise adrift and lost at sea as a result.

Whalers from Taiji also participate in the annual hunt for minke whales[9] which is sanctioned under IWC regulations for scientific purposes.

[11] Since the film's release, more activists than before, many from outside Japan, have gone to Taiji to observe or protest the annual dolphin slaughter which usually begins in 1 September and continues through the end of February.

As a result, the town announced in July 2011 that it was reinforcing its police presence at the cove where the killings take place by operating a 24-hour, 10-man kōban in order to prevent confrontations between activists and locals.

[12] In 2009, hair samples from 1,137 Taiji residents were tested for mercury by the National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD).

[19] The chief of the NIMD, Kōji Okamoto, said, "We presume that the high mercury concentrations are due to the intake of dolphin and whale meat.

[22] Taiji has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 10 members.

Taiji, collectively with the other municipalities of Higashimuro District contributes two members to the Wakayama Prefectural Assembly.

In terms of national politics, the town is part of Wakayama 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.