Overview
- Japan approved a new package to help municipalities hire licensed hunters, fund fencing and deterrents, dispatch experts, and build a unified system to estimate bear populations.
- Revised rules that took effect Thursday allow police to use rifles against bears in emergencies, with Akita and Iwate launching specialized teams after formal ceremonies.
- Authorities report at least 13 deaths and more than 100 injuries since April, with many incidents in northern prefectures and a recent bear sighting that briefly closed Iwate Hanamaki Airport’s runway.
- Self-Defense Forces personnel remain in Akita in a non-lethal support role that includes setting traps and transporting carcasses shot by licensed hunters.
- The U.S. Embassy issued a wildlife alert urging caution in northern Japan, noting a park closure near the Sapporo consulate, while Japan’s national travel advisory stays at Level 1.