Day 15 features Yutaka Takeda, Takeda Toshio Shoten, who has been producing deer crackers for generations near the Nara Prison Museum.
We make deer crackers, the favorite treat of the deer in Nara Park. While our official manufacturing permit from Kasuga Taisha Shrine dates back to 1917, records at the Foundation for the Protection of Deer suggest we were ordered to produce crackers and act as monitors as early as 1868. The ingredients are simple: rice bran, flour, and water. Considering the deer eat them every day, we use no flavorings or sugar. Even the paper ties and glue are carefully chosen to be safe if consumed. We produce about 10,000 to 15,000 crackers a day depending on the season. In our small workshop, we used to bake each one by hand, but now we use machines, and I deliver them to the vendors myself every day. Deer sometimes wander near the Prison Museum; you might see them strolling peacefully in front of the brick walls.
There are currently five manufacturers of deer crackers in Nara Prefecture, and Takeda Toshio Shoten has the longest history among them. Visitors can observe the production process between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM by contacting them by the morning of their visit. (Tel: 0742-22-4853, closed on Sundays)
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