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

Thomas Peter/Reuters

Hunter Masami Hata shoots at a duck in a forest outside Hakusan.

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.

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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.