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53-431: Nara Park began in 1880, when a 14-hectare area within the grounds of Kōfuku-ji, which was government-owned land, was designated as a park. In 1889, Todai-ji, Kasugano and mountainous areas such as Mount Wakakusa were added, expanding the park to 535 hectares. From 1949 to 1951, the park designation within the temple grounds was revoked, reducing the area to 500 hectares. In 1960, it was officially designated as Nara Park under

106-598: A breach of that law. After World War II , the deer were officially stripped of their sacred/divine status, and were instead designated as natural monument ( 天然記念物 Tennen kinenbutsu ) and are protected as such. Today, visitors can purchase "deer-crackers" ( 鹿煎餅 Shika-senbei ) to feed the deer in the park. These crackers are exclusively sold by the WNOW company. In January 2023, a joint research team from Fukushima University , Yamagata University , and Nara University of Education revealed that among sika deer inhabiting

159-402: A breeding pair, but individual Japanese raccoon dogs may stay in a group of non-paired individuals until they find a mate. The species is predominantly monogamous. The breeding period for the species is synchronized between females and males and lasts between February and April. A litter (typically with 4–6 pups) is born after a gestation period of 9 weeks. The parents look after their pups at

212-540: A den for around a month, and then for another month after the pups leave the den. Japanese raccoon dogs live for 7–8 years in the wild and have reached the age of 13 in captivity. They have been observed to climb trees to forage for fruits and berries, using their curved claws to climb. The Japanese raccoon dog is sometimes classified as its own distinct species due to unique chromosomal , behavioral , and morphological characteristics absent in mainland raccoon dogs. Researchers have suggested that they be considered

265-689: A distinct species). This taxon is synonymized with N. p. viverrinus in Mammal Species of the World , but comparative morphometric analysis supports recognizing the Hokkaido population as a distinct subspecific unit. The IUCN places the raccoon dog at " least concern " status due to the animal's wide distribution in Japan and abundant population, including as an introduced species throughout northeastern Europe. In many European countries, it

318-457: A face that looks like that of the animal, or a person's facial expression of feigned ignorance. By contrast, kitsune gao ("fox face") refers to people with narrow faces, close-set eyes, thin eyebrows, and high cheekbones. A dish called tanukijiru  [ ja ] (" tanuki soup") ceased to contain actual tanuki meat, but some rural stews do use tanuki. Of Japanese noodles, the words "tanuki" and "kitsune" designate two varieties of

371-489: A few cases. Tanuki (or their folklore version ) are a recurring theme in Japanese popular culture. The first exposure of non-Japanese to tanuki usually comes through exported Japanese media. However, they are often described as "raccoons" in translation or assumed as such if no species is given. Notable appearances of tanuki in popular culture include: In Japanese slang, tanuki gao ("raccoon dog face") can refer to

424-470: A later passage (after digressing on other matters), the Nihon Shoki retells Takemikazuchi and Futsunushi's landing on the beach, this time stating that Ōanamuchi verbally expressed resistance to relinquish his rule, until the heavenly gods promised him palatial residence to recompense his abdication. Appended to the two passages is the mention of a star deity named Amatsu-Mikaboshi who resisted till

477-473: A limit of 120 deer to be culled during 2017. In July 2017 there were around 1,500 deer living in the park, and at least 164 people had been injured by them from 2017 to 2018. Most of them were tourists feeding the deer. In April 2018 Nara city set up new signs in English, Chinese and Japanese informing tourists that the deer are wild animals and to not tease them during feeding. A 2009 study by Harumi Torii (who

530-402: A long history in Japanese legend and folklore. Bake-danuki are a kind of supernatural beings found in the classics and in the folklore and legends of various places in Japan. Although the tanuki is a real, extant animal, the bake-danuki that appears in literature has always been depicted as a strange, even supernatural animal. The earliest appearance of the bake-danuki in literature, in

583-408: A separate species, N. viverrinus , or that raccoon dogs of Japan could be further divisible into separate subspecies as N. p. procyonoides and N. p. albus , but both views were controversial. However, following morphological and genetic analysis across multiple studies, all of which indicated that N. viverrinus was a distinct species, it was later classified as such by

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636-524: A separate species, but its status is still disputed, based on its elastic genome. The karyotype of Japanese raccoon dogs is different from that of the mainland raccoon dogs. Though it is unknown whether mainland raccoon dogs and Japanese raccoon dogs can produce fertile offspring, it is assumed that the chromosomal differences between them would have deleterious effects on the fertility of the potential offspring and this would be indicative of speciation . Aggregators on mammal taxonomy are inconsistent: Like

689-401: A significant role since ancient times. They are reputed to be mischievous and jolly, masters of disguise and shapeshifting but somewhat gullible and absent-minded. The animals have also been common in Japanese art, particularly as subjects for statues. While Japanese raccoon dogs are prominent in Japanese folklore and proverbs, they were not always clearly distinguished from other animals with

742-523: A similar appearance. Japanese raccoon dogs are often mistakenly translated into English as " badger " or " raccoon " (as used in the English translation of the film Pom Poko and outlined in Tom Robbins ' book Villa Incognito ), two unrelated types of animals with superficially similar appearances. Traditionally, different areas of Japan had different names for raccoon dogs as animals, which would be used to denote different animals in other parts of

795-442: A vision in a dream where the supreme deities Amaterasu and Takamusubi were about to command Takemikazuchi to descend to earth once again to pacify the lands, this time to assist the emperor. However, Takemizuchi replied that it would be sufficient to send down the sword he used during his campaigns, and, boring a hole through Takakuraji's storehouse, deposited the sword, bidding the man to present it to Emperor Jimmu. That sword bore

848-644: Is 20 years, much longer than in the wild, because humans care for injured, sick, and pregnant deer. Meanwhile, according to the Nara Deer Preservation Foundation, the average weight of a five-year-old male deer as of 2018 was 74 kg, even though deer in Nara Park are genetically smaller than deer elsewhere. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Japanese government implemented travel restrictions. The amount of tourists feeding

901-493: Is a species of canid endemic to Japan. It is one of two species in the genus Nyctereutes , alongside the common raccoon dog ( N. procyonoides ), of which it was traditionally thought to be a subspecies ( Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus ). The Japanese raccoon dog has a smaller stomach and shorter fur of lesser insulation value than mainland raccoon dogs. A rare, white colour type can also be found. In Japanese folklore , Japanese raccoon dogs ( tanuki ) have had

954-427: Is an assistant professor of wildlife management at Nara University of Education), who conducted necropsies on deceased shika deer in Nara Park, found that the deer in Nara Park were malnourished. According to forest journalist Atsuo Tanaka, while the average male deer weighs about 50 kg, the deer in Nara Park weighs only about 30 kg and is small and thin, and the color of the marrow in its femur indicates that it

1007-577: Is designated as a Special Natural Monument ( Tokubetsu Tennen Kinenbutsu ) , while the deer, the habitat of the Panchala ganesa butterfly, the Nageia nagi tree forest of Kasuga Grand Shrine, and the Prunus verecunda 'Antiqua' tree of Chisokuin are designated as Natural Monuments. According to local folklore, sika deer from this area were considered sacred due to a visit from Takemikazuchi , one of

1060-568: Is legal to hunt raccoon dogs, as they are considered a harmful and invasive species . In Japan the species is hunted mainly to prevent them from damaging crops; however, their fur is desired for use in calligraphy brushes and was exported chiefly to the United States before the outbreak of World War II . The animal is a common victim of vehicle accidents, with conservative estimates of up to 370,000 Japanese raccoon dogs being killed by vehicles each year in Japan. Japanese raccoon dogs have

1113-416: Is malnourished. The number of deer in Nara Park is much higher than the 780 deer that can live in the park, which is derived from the area of the park's lawn. The deer supplement their diet with crackers given to them by tourists, but these crackers are made of wheat flour and rice bran and are unbalanced in nutritional content. While the deer in the park are chronically malnourished, the average life expectancy

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1166-451: Is one of the chief delegates sent down to subjugate the terrestrial deities ( kuni-tsu-kami ). In the Kojiki (Conquest of Izumo chapter), the heavenly deities Amaterasu and Takamusubi decreed that either Takemikazuchi or his father Itsu-no-ohabari ("Heaven-Point-Blade-Extended") must be sent down for the conquest. Itsu-no-ohabari (who appeared previously as a ten-fist sword) here has

1219-563: Is otherwise known as "The kami of Kashima" ( Kashima-no-kami ), the chief deity revered in the Kashima Shrine at Kashima, Ibaraki (and all other subsidiary Kashima shrines). In the namazu-e or catfish prints of the Edo period , Takemikazuchi/Kashima is depicted attempting to subdue the Namazu , a giant catfish supposedly dwelling at the kaname-ishi ( 要石 , 'pinning rock') of

1272-400: Is referred in some passages as the child of Itsu-no-o habari. See next section ). The Nihon Shoki gives the same episode in the same general gist, albeit more vaguely regarding this deity. In the episodes where the gods of the heavenly plains ( Takama-ga-hara ) contemplate and execute the conquest of the terrestrial world known as Middle Country ( Ashihara no Nakatsukuni ), Takemikazuchi

1325-463: The Kogo Shūi (807). The Nihon Shoki account has other discrepancies. The beach where the gods stuck the "ten-fist sword" is here called "Itasa". The chief god of Izumo (Ōkuninushi) is called by the name of Ōanamuchi. The wrestling match with Takeminakata is missing. In the end, Ōanamuchi/Ōkuninushi gave sign of his obedience by presenting the broad spear he used to pacify the land with. Jumping to

1378-544: The American Society of Mammalogists . Genetic analysis has confirmed unique sequences of mtDNA , classifying the Japanese raccoon dog as a distinct isolation species , based on evidence of eight Robertsonian translocations . The International Union for Conservation of Nature Canid Group 's Canid Biology and Conservation Conference in September 2001 rejected the classification of the Japanese raccoon dog as

1431-677: The Inbe clan ( 忌部氏 ) ). The Nakatomi clan, essentially the priestly branch of the Fujiwara clan , also placed the veneration of Takemikazuchi in the Kasuga-taisha in Nara . (The thunder god is one of several gods enshrined.) When the Yamato kingship expanded control into the easterly dominions, Kashima ( Kashima, Ibaraki ) became a crucial base. Yamato armies and generals often prayed to

1484-544: The Kii Peninsula , those in Nara Park form a unique genetic population. The results of the large-scale genetic research showed that while 18 mitochondrial DNA genotypes were detected in deer living on the Kii Peninsula, only one of these genotypes was detected in deer living in Nara Park, which is not found in deer living in other areas of the Kii Peninsula. The genetic differentiation of the Nara Park deer from

1537-718: The Sado Islands of Niigata Prefecture and in Shikoku , and among them, like the Danzaburou-danuki of Sado, the Kinchō-tanuki and Rokuemon-tanuki of Awa Province ( Tokushima Prefecture ), and the Yashima no Hage-tanuki of Kagawa Prefecture , the tanuki that possessed special abilities were given names, and even became the subject of rituals. Apart from these places, tanuki are treated with special regard in

1590-626: The Suwa Grand Shrine in Nagano Prefecture ). The hand-to-hand bout between the two deities is considered the mythical origin of sumo wrestling. The Nihon Shoki names a different partner for Takemikazuchi in the task of conquering lands of the Middle Country. That partner is Futsunushi (a god who goes unmentioned in the Kojiki in the gods' birth episode as well as this episode). Just as Takemikazuchi

1643-491: The udon or soba dishes. Neither contain any of those meats. Tanuki udon/soba contains flakes of fried tempura batter (" tenkasu "), while kitsune udon/soba contains fried tofu (" abura-age "). Takemikazuchi Takemikazuchi ( 建御雷/武甕槌 ) is a deity in Japanese mythology , considered a god of thunder and a sword god. He also competed in what is considered the first sumo wrestling match recorded in history. He

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1696-564: The IUCN, Mammal Species of the World (2005) considers the Japanese raccoon dog to be a subspecies, whereas the American Society of Mammalogists include N. viverrinus as a valid species in their Mammal Diversity Database. The raccoon dogs from Hokkaido are sometimes recognized as a different subspecies from the mainland tanuki as Nyctereutes procyonoides albus (Hornaday, 1904) (or N. viverrinus albus if recognized as

1749-780: The Japanese government. Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji, Kasuga Grand Shrine, and the Kasugayama Primeval Forest are registered as World Heritage Sites under the title Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara . There are 47 buildings designated as National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties on the grounds of Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji, Kasuga Grand Shrine, Shōsōin , Shin-Yakushi-ji , Gangō-ji , and others. There are 374 arts and crafts designated as National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties, mainly consisting of Buddhist statues and religious arts and crafts found in Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. The Kasugayama Primeval Forest

1802-530: The Japanese landmass and causing its earthquakes . In the Kojiki , the god is known as Takemikazuchi-no-o no kami (建御雷之男神 – "Brave Mighty Thunderbolt Man"). He also bears the alternate names Takefutsu-no-kami ( 建布都神 ) and Toyofutsu-no-kami ( 豊布都神 ) . In the Kamiumi ("birth of the gods") episodes of the Kojiki , the god of creation Izanagi severs the head of the fire deity Kagu-tsuchi , whereupon

1855-563: The Kii Peninsula deer population occurred about 1,400 years ago, which is genetically close to the year 768, when the Kasuga Grand Shrine was built. The results of this research confirm that the Japanese people have been protecting the deer in this area for more than 1,000 years as messengers of Takemikazuchi , the main deity of Kasuga Grand Shrine , and that this has allowed the deer in this area to maintain their population from generation to generation. The number of deer grew in

1908-468: The Nara Park to be not only the designated area of 502 hectares defined by the Urban Park Act, but also the surrounding Shinto shrines , Buddhist temples , and other areas totaling 660 hectares. Within this 660-hectare area, there are World Heritage Sites , as well as a variety of National Treasures , Important Cultural Properties , and Natural Monuments ( Tennen Kinenbutsu ) designated by

1961-534: The Nara deer decreased significantly. The deer lost a vital source of food and began to forage outside of the park. There were concerns that the deer could get hit by vehicles or die from eating harmful plastic and other litter. Some of the deer were observed to be emaciated and not eating the grass in front of them, probably because they had become dependent on crackers, while some deer were observed to have started eating grass, which improved their intestinal environment and

2014-407: The Urban Park Act, with an area of 502 hectares. The wild animals that inhabit the park include deer, wild boars, Japanese raccoon dog , Japanese giant flying squirrel , squirrels, and others. The vegetation consists of pine trees , cherry blossom trees , maple trees , plum trees , Japanese cedar and Japanese pieris , among others. The Nara Prefectural Government considers the total area of

2067-666: The anime based on the manga shows production of deer crackers alongside footage of deer at Nara Park. Nara Park is serviced by the Kintetsu Nara Station and it is reachable by the Kintetsu Line from Osaka-Namba Station . 34°41′06″N 135°51′00″E  /  34.685°N 135.85°E  / 34.685; 135.85 Japanese raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus The Japanese raccoon dog ( Nyctereutes viverrinus ), also known by its Japanese name tanuki ( Japanese : 狸, タヌキ ),

2120-496: The blood from the sword ( Totsuka-no-Tsurugi ) splattered the rocks and gave birth to several deities. The blood from the sword-tip engendered one triad of deities, and the blood from near the base of the blade produced another triad that included Takemikazuchi (here given as "Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity" by Chamberlain). The name of the ten-fist sword wielded by Izanagi is given postscripturally as Ame-no-ohabari , otherwise known as Itsu-no-ohabari. (Accordingly, Takemikazuchi

2173-418: The challenger grabbed Takemikazuchi's hand it turned as if into an icicle and then a sword, making him cringe. Takemikazuchi then grabbed Takeminakata's hand, crushing it like a young reed. The challenger, chased to the sea near Suwa of Shinano ( 科野国之州羽海 , in Kojiki ) , asked for clemency on his life, promising to hold himself in exile in that region (in this way, the defeated Takeminakata became chief deity of

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2226-734: The chapter about Empress Suiko in the Nihon Shoki written during the Nara period , there are such passages as "in two months of spring, there are tanuki in the country of Mutsu, they turn into humans and sing songs." Bake-danuki subsequently appear in such classics as the Nihon Ryōiki and the Uji Shūi Monogatari . In some regions of Japan, bake-danuki are reputed to have abilities similar to those attributed to foxes: they can shapeshift into other things or people, and can possess human beings. Many legends of tanuki exist in

2279-399: The condition of their feces. In 2010, a man and woman were arrested and jailed for shooting a deer with a crossbow. In 2021, a man was arrested for fatally injuring a deer with an axe. Alt-J 's 2014 album, This Is All Yours has the track "Nara" which mentions Nara Park in its lyrics. My Deer Friend Nokotan predominantly features deer crackers as well as Nara Park. The closing of

2332-514: The country, including badgers and wild cats. The Japanese raccoon dog is mainly nocturnal, but they are known to be active during daylight. They vocalize by growling or with groans that have pitches resembling those of domesticated cats . Like cats, the Japanese raccoon dog arches its back when it is trying to intimidate other animals; however, they assume a defensive posture similar to that of other canids, lowering their bodies and showing their bellies to submit. Usually, social groups are limited to

2385-586: The crest of the wave, and sat atop it, while demanding the local god Ōkuninushi to relinquish the Izumo province over to them. Ōkuninushi replied he would defer the decision to his child deities, and would follow suit in their counsel. One of them, Kotoshironushi or Yae-Kotoshironushi ("Eight-Fold-Thing-Sign-Master") who had been out fishing, was easily persuaded to forfeit his authority and retire into seclusion. The other, Takeminakata would not concede without testing his feats of strength against Takemikazuchi. When

2438-497: The east. At Kumano , the Emperor and his troops were either struck unconscious by the appearance of a bear ( Kojiki ) or severely debilitated by the poison fumes spewed out by local gods ( Nihon Shoki ). But a man named Takakuraji presented a gift of a sword, the emperor awoke, and without him hardly brandishing this weapon, the evil deities of Kumano were spontaneously cut down. When Jimmu inquired, Takakuraji explained that he had

2491-441: The end, and whom Takemikazuchi and Futsunushi were particularly eager to vanquish. The latter passage states that the being who subdued the star god, referred to as Iwai no nushi ( 斎の大人 ) is enshrined at Katori, hinting that it might be Futsunushi. However, the earlier passage says a god named Takehazuchi  [ ja ] was the vanquisher of the star god. Takemikazuchi's sword aided Emperor Jimmu in his subjugation of

2544-413: The four gods of Kasuga Grand Shrine . He was said to have been invited from Kashima Shrine in present-day Ibaraki Prefecture , and appeared on Mount Mikasa (also known as Mount Wakakusa) riding a white deer. From that point, the deer were considered divine and sacred by both Kasuga Grand Shrine and Kōfuku-ji. Killing one of these sacred deer was a capital offense up until 1637, the last recorded date of

2597-413: The mind and speech of a sentient god, and he volunteered his son Takemikazuchi for the subjugation campaign. Takemikazuchi was accompanied by Ame-no-torifune "Deity Heavenly-Bird-Boat" (which may be a boat as well as being a god) The two deities reached the land of Izumo at a place called "the little shore of Izasa/Inasa" ( 伊耶佐小浜 ) , and stuck a "ten-fist sword" ( Totsuka-no-Tsurugi ) upside-down on

2650-423: The names of Futsu-no-mitama  [ ja ] ( 布都御魂 ) , Saji-futsu-no-kami ( 佐士布都神 ) , and Mika-futsu no kami ( 甕布都神 ) . This sword is the main dedication ( goshintai ) kept at Isonokami Shrine . According to Iwao Ōwa in his Jinja to kodai ōken saishi (1989), Takemikazuchi was originally a local god ( kunitsukami ) revered by the Ō clan ( 多氏 , Ō no uji , also written as 大氏 ) , and

2703-454: The postwar period to around 1,200 in 2008, leading to concerns about environmental and crop damage and discussion of culling . In 2016, a record number of 121 people were injured by deer. In 2016 it was announced that the area around Nara would be designated into four different zones, with the outer zones allowing deer to be captured and killed. In August 2017, traps were set to catch deer on the outskirts of Nara. The culling started in 2017, with

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2756-552: Was a god of maritime travel. However, the Nakatomi clan also has roots in this region, and when they took over control of priestly duties from the Ō clan, they claimed Takemikazuchi as the Nakatomi clan's ujigami (clan deity). Ōwa goes on to theorize that the Ō clan was originally ōmi ( 大忌 , "greater taboo (priesthood)" ) , but was usurped by the Nakatomi who were among the "lesser priesthood" (the latter claims descent from

2809-572: Was chief deity of Kashima Shrine , this Futsunushi was the chief of the Katori Shrine . In the early centuries, when the Yamato rulers campaigned in the Kantō and Tōhoku regions, they would pray to these two war gods for military success, so that subsidiary shrines of the two gods are scattered all over these regions. The enshrinement of the deities at Kashima and Katori is mentioned briefly in

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