This event was held on Saturday, February 25, sponsored by the Samani Mt. Apoi Promotion Council and the Committee for Effective Use of Ezo Deer. The Ezo deer inhabit Hokkaido, but the overpopulation of deer often destroys crops making them a target for extermination.

During the first half of the event we made various accessories from deer antlers, then in the second half, we conducted a venison cooking class.

The instructor for accessory making was Miyazaki Tooru from Sapporo.

Mr. Miyazaki talked a bit about Ezo deer and then gave some advice on how to make the accessories before the work began.

The participants picked out the antlers that they liked then cut, shaved, and polished them into shape. Then the accessories were finished off with beads and decorative string.

Some participants sanded down the antlers until they were completely white.

After the accessory-making was finished, we moved to the community kitchen to learn how to cook venison.

The participants learned how to cook while admiring the skillful techniques of the instructor Mr. Yamazaki.

At the very end, we all sat down to taste the food we made.

The participants enjoyed themselves while learning more about Ezo deer.