Overview

• The Environment Ministry counts six bear-related deaths as of Oct. 6, with newly discovered bodies in Iwate and earlier in Nagano under investigation that could raise the toll.
• A 1.4-meter bear entered a Numata, Gunma supermarket on Oct. 7, circled the aisles, damaged shelves, and lightly injured two customers before fleeing; it has not been captured.
• Aomori City closed public access to the Komakino Jomon ruins through April 2026 after a nearby chestnut-picker was injured and sightings increased around the site.
• In Maizuru, Kyoto, a Japanese black bear fell from a persimmon tree at a residence and scratched a man’s arm, prompting city patrols near a nearby elementary school.
• Reported human harm in September reached 39 people nationwide, the highest monthly figure since fiscal 2007, according to coverage of official data.