Why do the deer in Nara bow?

Yusa has the following hypothesis about this: "A long time ago, the deer in the capital Nara were afraid of humans, so they might have started bowing as a result of being stressed. However, the city gradually became a sightseeing spot and the deer learned to bow to people to get Shika Senbei rice crackers.



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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.

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Japan has the largest Sika deer population in the world with 3,080,000 individuals as of 2015 estimation by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment. It is still increasing due to conservation efforts and the extinction of its main predator, the Grey wolf, over a century ago.

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Even though there are many things to see and do in Nara Park, feeding the deer is definitely a highlight and one of my favourite experiences in Japan. After buying a package of special deer crackers from one of the vendors in the park, we walked around looking for some deer to feed.

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