As bear encounters surge, Japan looks beyond culling
Japan’s estimated 58,000 bears are increasingly coming into contact with people, prompting authorities to rethink how they manage the population.
A bear walks on the premises of an office in Fukushima, Japan, Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)
New: You can now listen to articles.
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
NAGANO: Behind the metal bars of an enclosure in Nagano, a 100kg Asiatic black bear reaches its paw through the gaps for a carrot.
It has lived in captivity for most of its life, after being taken in as a cub when its mother was culled more than 20 years ago.
Its story reflects a dilemma that has become increasingly urgent in Japan: what should be done when bears and people come into conflict.
More than 50,000 bear sightings were reported nationwide from April 2025 to March 2026, the highest on record. This was more than double the previous record of nearly 25,000 set two years before.
Bear attacks killed a record 13 people in Japan during the same period. Six people have been killed since April this year.
The growing threat has prompted Japan to step up its response, including creating a new ministerial role in September to oversee bear countermeasures.
But culling is only part of the effort.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
KEEPING BEARS AND PEOPLE APART
In Nagano, where bear sightings have also risen, CNA saw some other preventive measures being used to reduce encounters, such as clearing vegetation and putting up fences between forests and human habitats.
On a route used by schoolchildren, bear expert Shigeyuki Izumiyama pointed to bushes alongside the path.
“Children commute to school through here. There are overgrown bushes. Bears pass by and cannot be seen,” said Izumiyama, a professor at Shinshu University’s Institute for Mountain Science.
“So we decided to trim (the bushes) to improve visibility.”
When bears do venture close to human settlements, the professor is among the wildlife experts called in to respond, as he is licensed to tranquilise the bears.
Bears assessed as suitable for release back into the wild are fitted with GPS collars so their movements can be tracked.
The professor said he has released more than 3,400 bears over 30 years.
But others had to be put down.
Izumiyama recalled one incident at a ryokan, a traditional inn.
“(The bear) continued to trespass and damaged the structure,” he said.
“It became accustomed to food meant for human consumption. If nothing was done, it could have endangered humans.”
BRINGING BEAR NUMBERS DOWN
The Asiatic black bear is listed as a vulnerable species globally, but Japan faces a different challenge at home.
According to environment ministry estimates released in March, there are about 58,000 bears in the country, including brown bears found on Hokkaido.
The authorities are trying to bring the numbers down as encounters rise.
A record 14,618 bears were culled from April 2025 to March 2026, according to the ministry’s latest preliminary figures.
In some of the worst-affected regions, including Chubu, the government aims to reduce bear populations by more than 30 per cent by fiscal year 2030.
Population control is only part of its strategy.
A roadmap was introduced in March aimed at preventing bears from entering human habitats. The authorities are also trying to secure more government hunters and establish a sanctuary for bears.
LIVING SIDE BY SIDE WITH BEARS
Some observers say Japan needs to find more ways for people and bears to coexist peacefully.
One man put that idea to the test for 17 years.
Masayoshi Miyazawa kept as many as 10 bears on his farmland in Nagano from 1969, while working with zoos and local authorities on conservation efforts.
Now 99 years old and living in an elderly home, he recalled how the bears’ behaviour changed under his family’s care.
One bear, which he named Joe, was initially aggressive towards Miyazawa.
“Every time he saw me, he would charge towards me in his cage. He would damage the cage so hard that he would break his own fang. He hated me,” he said.
“But after three to four years, I could put my hands on his meal and he did not complain.”
Even then, caring for the bears came with risks.
His daughter, Yukimi Ohtake, recalled how they witnessed one bear killing another.
“One bear licked another bear and died (from a retaliatory bite),” she said.
“My dad and I wanted to revive it, so he gave it CPR, but it died.”
The remaining bears eventually died from various causes. Their preserved bodies are now kept by a wildlife conservation group in Saitama.
Despite their years of experience with the bears, Miyazawa and Ohtake said people should keep their distance from those in the wild.
“Wild bears are not like our bears,” said Ohtake. “I am afraid of wild bears.”
Still, Miyazawa believes Japan needs more alternatives to culling.
He suggested companies could develop new, strong-smelling repellents to keep bears away from areas where people live.
Such a measure, he believes, could help prevent encounters from turning deadly.
Source: CNA/oc(mp)
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
