Photo/Illutration Members of the Aichi Gakuin University’s rugby club enjoy a deer meat barbecue during their training camp on the Sugadaira Plateau in Ueda, Nagano Prefecture, in August. (Provided by Yoshikazu Ishihata)

UEDA, Nagano Prefecture--Venison is low in fat, rich in iron and has a high protein content, making it nutritious and tasty fare for athletes.

Even so, meat from deer that have been hunted often goes to waste due to regulations that carcasses must be processed at an approved facility. It also takes time to dismember a deer.

But that didn’t stop Yoshikazu Ishihata from figuring out a way to make use of the resource during summer sessions at the Sugadaira Plateau here that hosts training camps for hundreds of rugby teams.

Ishihata, 47, is a joint representative of a Tokyo-based planning and design firm. He moved to Ueda six years ago and serves as an adviser to the Sugadaira Plateau tourist association.

When he learned that venison could be procured from surrounding mountains, he seized on the opportunity to serve the meat to players.

With at least 100 rugby fields in the area, more than 800 teams come from across the country for their summer training camps. Having played rugby through his high school and college years, Ishihata was a member of such a team.

In late August, members of Aichi Gakuin University’s rugby club enjoyed a barbecue prepared by Ishihata that featured venison at a lodging facility on the Sugadaira Plateau.

About 50 players wolfed down roughly 25 kilograms of locally sourced venison, an amount equivalent to four deer.

Local inn operators found themselves in dire straits when more than 90 percent of training camps were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

At that point, Ishihata stepped in by joining hands with local volunteers to mount a crowdfunding campaign that raised more than 60 million yen ($405,000) from the rugby community.

Inspired by the huge response, Ishihata wanted to do something to help the Sugadaira Plateau retain its position as the nation’s capital of summer training camps.

Only a few facilities operate in the vicinity to process hunted deer meat, which is troublesome to dismember. As a result, deer meat often ends up being discarded.

It was through a hunting expedition with an acquaintance that Ishihata discovered venison is delicious, high in protein and rich in iron.

Ishihata obtained a hunting license this past February and started another crowdfunding drive to raise funds to build a facility to strip hunted deer of their flesh. It was completed in July.

He devised dishes with his acquaintance, which are served from a food truck.

He also sought help from a local hunting association to provide meat from the equivalent of 100 deer by next summer.

The project members aim to provide deer meat for barbecue purposes to 10 teams a year.

“We’ll be happy if helping them gain a good experience during their training camps can bring benefits to Sugadaira,” Ishihata said.

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