Miyajima (or Itsukushima) is an island very close to Hiroshima city in Japan. It is a very famous tourist location in Japan and It's name literally means "shrine island". Miyajima is a UNESCO world heritage site and designated one of the top three scenic places in Japan. The famous shrine on the island, Itsukushima Jinja, is considered one of the holiest places in Japan.
There have been deer on the island for years and they were originally seen as divine creatures and were thought of as messengers from the gods of the shrine. During the second world war, because of food shortages, residents were forced to eat deer. At this time the deer population therefore declined but after the war it was decided to import more deer from Nara city to boost the population and increase breeding. Since then the population has grown and the deer have become almost as famous as the shrine itself.
When I visited last year, it was easy to buy food for for the deer at various places in the town. The deer were very tame and ate food from my hand. Many people visit the island, especially to see the deer and in the multitude of tourist shops, many deer souvenirs are still available.
However, recently, due to complains by residents, the local government decided to stop the sale of deer food on the island and to instruct visitors not to feed them. There are now signs all round the town warning of the supposed dangers of feeding deer. They have also claimed they want the deer to return to the wild. However, there isn't much grass on the island and the deer are still wandering around the town looking for food. Unlike other deer parks in other countries, there doesn't seem to be anyone responsible for managing the deer.
I recently became aware of this issue from a local volunteer group who in turn found out about it from a letter in a newspaper from a tourist. This person was shocked at the sight of weak and dying deer on the famous island. The group investigated the claims and found the deer on the island to be emaciated and ill. Their coats were in terrible condition (see profile picture) and they were desperate for food. They also saw dead deer on the beach.
There are many places in other countries which have faced similar problems with growing deer populations. Some people have advocated sterilization of deer and feeding programs located away from residential areas. Others have "culled" deer. In Miyajima the current approach seems to be to let the deer starve to death.
If you search for "Miyajima" and "deer" on the internet you may find information like "The deer are protected as divine messengers of Istukushima" shrine". This no longer seems to be true.
