Domino's training reindeers to deliver pizza in northern Japan

Tokyo: Santa Claus is outsourcing his reindeer this holiday season to help deliver pizza for a Domino’s outlet in snowy northern Japan.

Employees at a branch on the northernmost island of Hokkaido, where weather agencies have predicted an unusually cold snap ahead with severe snowfalls, are training a reindeer to deliver pizzas.

“If it runs properly, it could go as fast as 80 kph,” one trainer said.

Several delivery methods are being considered. One of them is strapping the pizza to the reindeer’s back or hitching the animal to a driverless sleigh fitted with a Global Positioning System (GPS), according to a company video.

Company officials say they are working with the Hokkaido Delivery Integrated Research Center to ensure the welfare of the animals. Reindeers were first brought to the island from Finland over 25 years ago. The outlet said it had seen an uptick in online orders.

However, it was not clear if it planned to honour Domino’s policy of giving customers the pizza free, if not delivered in 30 minutes or less.