Overview
- The Supreme Court’s Third Petty Bench set oral argument for Feb. 27, 2026, a step required to potentially overturn the Sapporo High Court’s ruling that triggered a hunter’s permit revocation.
- The high court had found the 2018 killing to be a dangerous discharge toward a residence, a finding used to cancel the shotgun license.
- Plaintiff Haruo Ikegami, head of the Sunagawa branch of the Hokkaido hunting association, announced a crowdfunding campaign to cover travel and other costs for the appeal.
- Sunagawa reports that all 15 bears removed in 2025 were captured using box traps, as the local hunting branch has declined to conduct firearm culls since 2019.
- Hokkaido police recorded 5,249 bear sightings and two fatal incidents in 2025, and in November the government authorized police rifle use and sought retired personnel to expand culling capacity.