Overview
The deer were considered divine messengers of Kasuga-taisha, and killing one was a capital offence until 1637; after the war they were declared a natural monument. The bowing is learned behaviour traded for the sugar-free crackers sold at stalls, and the animals will head-butt, bite and follow anyone holding food or a paper bag. Injuries run to a couple of hundred reported cases a year, almost all from teasing.
Highlights
Buy the crackers if you want the experience, but feed quickly and show empty hands, which the deer understand. Keep maps, tickets and food out of pockets — they will take them. The park is at its best at dawn, when the deer are lying in the mist under the pines and there is no one to feed them.