During Golden Week rush, Nara deer so overwhelmed with rice crackers they wear them as hats

“The burden of my stomach is second only to the burden of my crown.”

It’s Golden Week in Japan, a series of holidays that give most people several days off from work. And this year, thanks to the recent imperial succession, it’s slightly longer than usual, giving people up to 10 days off in a row.

With all those holidays, many people choose to travel, with one popular destination being Nara, a city famous for its history, juvenile prison, derpy god-horses, and of course, its abundant deer population. Hundreds of deer roam the streets, bowing for snacks and photo-ops.

But while the deer are usually content to feast on senbei rice crackers from tourists (they’re fed shika senbei, “deer senbei”), the sheer amount of visitors during Golden Week has left them with far too many to eat. Now the deer are left with no choice but… to wear them as hats.

▼ “During Golden Week, all of the deer were
sick of shika senbei. Look at this poor kid.”

The expression on the deer’s face is priceless. It looks like it’s thinking: “Alas, my bounty of wealth is too large. Woe be to me, a simple deer, who has no room left in his stomach and must wear his riches as a crown instead. Woe be!”

Personally, it reminds me of another classic Internet image:

Here’s how Japanese netizens reacted to the senbei-satiated deer:

“I mean, they do literally eat only shika senbei all the time. I guess it had to happen eventually.”
“Can confirm, did try to feed a deer yesterday and failed.”
“Deer: ‘Oh no, please, no more…. Okay, maybe one more.'”
“That’s their way of saying ‘we are now closed for today.'”
“This happens often. The deer closer to the city won’t eat them, but the ones further away will practically bite your fingers off to get them.”

Let’s just hope that once Golden Week is over, all the deer who were sitting on their piles of uneaten senbei don’t get upset over the sudden reduction in their food. This year has already seen a record number of people injured by deer, and if our hooved overlords are not happy with their rations, then we will surely pay deerly.

Source: Twitter/@bubble_oOoO via Hachima Kiko
Featured image: Twitter/@bubble_oOoO
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