Overview
- Police say a man in his 50s was slashed on the back of his head by a bear in Aizubange, Fukushima, on Nov. 7 and hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, days after an octogenarian was attacked in the same neighborhood.
- Government data show a record toll since April, with the environment ministry reporting 12 fatalities and more than 100 people injured, as some outlets count 13 deaths nationwide.
- Japan has deployed Ground Self-Defense Force units to Akita for logistical support such as setting and inspecting box traps, transport, and carcass removal, while culling remains the job of licensed hunters and police authorized to use rifles in emergencies.
- Scientists point to a fast-growing bear population and this year’s poor acorn harvest as key drivers, with estimates of roughly 12,000 brown bears and about 42,000 Asian black bears and reports of animals venturing into towns.
- Authorities report two-thirds of this year’s deaths in Akita and Iwate and a surge in sightings in Akita, as officials expand population-control efforts after more than 9,000 bears were culled in 2023–24 and over 4,200 between April and September.