Overview
- Police in Akita reported one death and three hospitalizations after a Friday mauling in a mountain village, with a nearby bear shot by a hunter under investigation as the attacker.
- Officials in Toyama said a woman in her 70s was injured in a separate bear encounter the same day.
- Authorities confirmed earlier this week that nine people have died in bear attacks in 2025, the highest annual tally on record.
- Japan’s environment minister vowed tougher controls, including securing and training government hunters and strengthening population management.
- Public warnings have intensified as sightings rise in populated areas during the autumn season, and producers postponed the release of a bear-attack horror film out of sensitivity.