Urban resident attitudes toward hunting and venison: A case study of Kyoto City, Japan.

Abstract

As game meat, particularly from wild mammals like deer, gains popularity in urban areas as a sustainable and ethical food source, understanding public attitudes toward its consumption becomes increasingly important. This study investigates the attitudes of residents in Kyoto, Japan, toward hunting and consuming venison, focusing on how these attitudes are shaped by demographic factors such as age and gender. Conducted in November 2022, a questionnaire survey was distributed to 3000 residents in built-up areas of Kyoto City, yielding 542 complete responses. The survey collected demographic data and detailed opinions on eating venison and hunting policies, supplemented by qualitative insights from open-ended questions.

The results show that gender significantly influences attitudes toward venison, with males displaying more positive attitudes. Factors such as age and education level have no significant impact. There is a significant difference between the image of deer, ‘holy,’ ‘cruel,’ and ‘cute’, held by residents, and the perception of venison consumption among urban residents. We did text mining analysis using topic analysis and sentiment analysis, respectively. The topic analysis further identifies key themes in public sentiment, particularly concerns about ethical hunting practices and the ecological impacts of managing urban wildlife. Sentiment analysis explored the emotional polarity preferences of city residents with different attitudes toward venison. The research offers resident-focused insights that align urban consumer attitudes with sustainable wildlife practices, supporting urban wildlife management and urban game meat marketing strategies.