The legend goes that the thunder god, Takemikazuchi, appeared in Nara riding on a white deer. The deer carried a scroll in its mouth, and Takemikazuchi warned the awestruck mortals who beheld him that from that point on, the deer would report their actions to the gods.

In Nara, Japan, deer are considered sacred because of a 1,300-year-old legend rooted in Shinto mythology. According to the founding story of Kasugataisha Shrine, the deity Takemikazuchi-no-Mikoto (the god of thunder) arrived in Nara riding a white deer to serve as a protector of the new capital. Since then, the Sika deer have been revered as divine messengers of the gods (kami). For centuries, killing a deer in Nara was a capital offense punishable by death. While they are no longer legally divine, they are designated as "National Natural Treasures" and are protected by the local community. Today, over 1,000 deer roam freely in Nara Park, interacting with visitors who feed them specialized "shika-senbei" (deer crackers). Their long-standing status as "Messengers of the Gods" has allowed them to survive as a genetically unique lineage that has lived in harmony with the people of Nara for over a millennium.