Australia's bid to outlaw scientific whaling by Japan has closed with the Asian power warning a decision against it could force it to quit the International Whaling Commission.

Deputy foreign minister Koji Tsuruoka said Japan relied on the International Court of Justice to find that it had obeyed the law by halting commercial whaling, and only conducting scientific whaling within the rules of the IWC treaty.

"What would happen to stable multilateral frameworks when such assurances disappear?" Mr Tsuruoka said. "When one morning suddenly you find your state bound by the policy of the majority and the only way out is to leave such an organisation?

"Japan, a country that places importance on the rule of law, trusts that the outcome of this case will uphold stable multilateralism."