Japanese women are entering the male-dominated world of hunting — at the government's request

Thomas Peter/Reuters

In Japan, it was once considered taboo for a woman to speak with a man before he went on a hunt. But a rising number of female hunters are taking up arms, at their government's behest. 

Over the last decade, Japanese farmers have lost up to $170 million annually because of a booming deer and boar population, among other animals that nosh on vegetable crops. The Ministry of Agriculture enlists hunters to help control the pest problem and protect the farms. 

At the same time, there are fewer male hunters in Japan due to age and rural depopulation. Hunting groups and local governments are now recruiting women to get the job done.

Thomas Peter, a German photographer based in Tokyo, spent time with budding female hunters for Reuters in late 2016. Here's a look at what it was like.

Just over 1% of registered hunters in Japan are women.

But that could soon change. Reuters reports that local Japanese governments are recruiting women through social media to enter the male-dominated world of hunting.

They need whatever help they can get. Since the late 1990s, the deer population in Japan has shot up over 650%, from less than 400,000 to more than three million.

The boar population is also growing out of control, doubling from about 500,000 to one million over the same period, according to the Ministry of Environment and Reuters.

The animals feast on vegetable crops, costing farmers up to $170 million annually.