How to Reduce Bear Attacks? First, Know the Numbers

Japan Forward

7 days ago

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Bear sightings and attacks on people have been occurring one after another from Hokkaido to Hiroshima Prefecture. Moreover, many have resulted in serious injuries in 2025.
From April to the end of June alone, there were 37 victims. This figure is comparable to the same period in Fiscal Year 2023, when there were 219 bear attack victims. It was the highest number of victims for any single year since statistics first became available in FY2006.
In 2025, severe beech nut crop failure is predicted for the mountainous areas of the Tohoku region. Beech nuts ( buna no mi ) are a primary food source for Asiatic black bears. This, too, is similar to 2023, which also had an extremely poor harvest. Consequently, humans need to be on high alert everywhere for the appearance of bears as we head into the autumn.
In the fall of 2023, a shortage of beech nuts led to mass hunger among bear populations, resulting in a series of human injuries caused by "urban bears" invading densely populated areas. Although it would be best to avoid a repeat of this situation, the circumstances are extremely difficult to manage.
Beech nuts were plentiful in Tohoku region forests in 2024, so there should be even more bear cubs in 2025. That could further exacerbate the expected food shortage, making it more likely for bears to come down from the mountains. Police officers patrol the golf course at the Meiji Yasuda Ladies Golf Tournament, where a bear was spotted, on July 16. Tomiya, Miyagi Prefecture (©Getty via Kyodo)
In the past, farming and mountain villages located in the satoyama, the area between mountains and urban areas, helped bears distinguish the extent of their habitat. However, due to the aging of society, population decline, and the abandonment of farmland, the functionality of the satoyama is declining. Now, once a bear leaves the mountains, it must be bewildered to find itself almost immediately in an urban setting.
To stem the increase in injuries from bear attacks, the Ministry of the Environment designated bears as a managed category of wildlife in early 2025. As a result, the national government will now cover the costs for hunting or capturing bears for the prefectures. Furthermore, starting from September, the revised Wildlife Protection, Control, and Hunting Management Act will permit the use of hunting rifles in urban areas at the discretion of city and town mayors.
However, these measures are merely responses to problems bears are causing in human habitats. They are unlikely to provide fundamental solutions.
To implement scientific management, it is essential to know the number of bears living throughout Japan. That is data on which we currently have no firm grasp. An Asiatic black bear spotted in Nara Prefecture. (Photo provided by Nara Prefecture)
The Ministry of the Environment roughly estimates the present Asiatic black bear population at 42,000. However, that estimate lacks precision. Indeed, estimates range from 22,000 to 55,000.
In FY2023 alone, approximately 7,700 bears were captured or killed. Without better data, there is a constant risk of over-culling that could lead to extinction.
As a first step to address the problem, funds should be allocated for an accurate survey of Japan's bear populations. That would provide the foundation for other measures. After all, due to excessive hunting pressure, bears have become extinct in Kyushu and are on the verge of extinction in Shikoku.
We must not repeat past mistakes. Bears living in the deep mountains play a key role in preserving a healthy ecosystem.
Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
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