Sanae Takaichi stands as she was chosen as the new leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party during the party’s leadership election in Tokyo, Japan. Photograph: Kyodo News via AP
Like their distant cousins in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, the roaming deer of Nara are a beloved tourist attraction.
About 1,450 mingle freely with visitors to Japan’s old capital city, where they are considered a sacred national treasure.
So claims by the politician set to become Japan’s first female prime minister that foreigners are abusing the animals have caused fury.
In a speech launching her bid to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) last month, Sanae Takaichi accused tourists of “kicking” the deer.
People from abroad “strike them, they frighten them,” she said, “deliberately trying to harm the things Japanese people treasure.
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