For the first time in about 40 years, Nara Park in the city of Nara has installed public trash cans to help protect its famous deer, which are a national protected species.
Waste receptacles were initially removed from the park in 1985 to prevent the deer from accidentally eating out of them, according to Nara Prefecture officials. Following their removal, prefectural officials and volunteers cleaned the park, and signs telling tourists to take their trash home with them were installed.
But littering in the park has risen alongside an increasing number of foreign tourists in recent years, many of whom had expressed concerns about the absence of trash cans.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.