Overview
- Bear encounters have climbed across Japan in 2025, driving up costs for capture, culling and crop-protection equipment.
- Local governments are seeking Furusato Nozei contributions as a short-term funding source dedicated to bear countermeasures.
- Tsuruoka City opened donations on Nov. 20, set at ¥2,000 to ¥100,000 per unit with no return gifts, to support hunter associations, box traps and electric fences.
- The city logged 400-plus sightings as of end-November and reported roughly ¥1.48 million collected by Dec. 1, with applications accepted through March 2026.
- In Miyagi Prefecture, including Sendai, officials continued email alerts on multiple Dec. 3–4 sightings, signaling persistent activity and ongoing public safety messaging.