Overview

• Police in Iwate said a man in his 70s who went to harvest mushrooms was found dead with injuries consistent with a bear attack.
• Officers reported the victim’s head and torso were found separated, citing circumstances consistent with a bear mauling.
• The case is one of three suspected fatal attacks reported over the past week in Iwate and Nagano, with causes still under investigation.
• The Environment Ministry reports 103 injuries and six confirmed deaths from bear attacks nationwide in the fiscal year since April, matching 2023’s fatality total.
• Recent nonfatal incidents include a cub injuring a Spanish tourist in Shirakawa-go and a bear injuring two shoppers in a Numata supermarket, as experts cite acorn shortages and broader environmental shifts; authorized emergency shootings remain in use.