Overview

• The revised Wildlife Protection and Hunting Law took effect on Sept. 1, allowing municipalities to authorize firing when bears enter human living areas.
• Environment Minister Keiichiro Asao said hunters need a framework that eases legal worries and he pledged ongoing training sessions.
• The Hokkaido Hunters Association notified branches that accepting municipal commissions is not obligatory and instructed hunters to stop firing if implementation raises doubts.
• Registered hunters are declining despite many holding Class-1 gun licenses, with Iwate logging over 2,000 license holders but only 1,471 registrations in FY2024 and officials citing paperwork burdens and an aging cohort.
• Morioka’s mayor said situations that justify firing will be highly limited and the city is revising manuals and staffing as officials note shooting cannot occur where people are present.