shashasha

In the photo locations of Nara and Miyajima, wild deer inhabit the city center. There was an ancient story that the gods had arrived at the Kasuga Shrine on a white deer, thus deer have been revered for a long time in Nara. Deer have even been designated as a natural treasure and are protected. In Miyajima, deer also inhabit public spaces, but the local government has prohibited their feeding, and has been trying to separate them from our habitat. However, some sympathetic people feed the deer which have become emaciated due to food shortage, and this has become a controversial issue. The number of deer has grown nationwide, reaching 2,490,000 in 2012 and this has damaged local vegetation and forest. Car accidents caused by deer have compounded this serious issue. In 2012, 193,800 deer were captured, and 272,600 deer were culled in Japan.

-Yoko Ishii