Japan Faces Growing Bear Encounters as Attacks Reach Record High

An aging hunter population, climate change, and rural depopulation are driving more bear-human conflicts, with calls for improved management strategies.

• A bear in Akita City attacked a supermarket worker and ransacked the store for two days before being captured and euthanized on December 2, 2024.
• Japan recorded 219 bear attacks, including six fatalities, in the fiscal year ending March 2024, the highest number since records began in 2006.
• Experts attribute rising bear encounters to climate change disrupting food supplies, rural depopulation, and bears expanding into urban areas.
• The aging population of hunters, who are critical for managing bear threats, is raising concerns about long-term solutions for human-wildlife conflict.
• Authorities are exploring measures such as hunter recruitment, technology like AI warning systems, and buffer zones to reduce bear-human interactions.

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