Local media report a sharp rise in bear sightings as animals emerge from hibernation, and authorities warn of increased danger ahead of the golden week holiday period. Last year, 238 bear attacks left hundreds injured and at least 13 dead, according to local media.
In a suspected first fatality of 2025, a woman was found dead in Iwate prefecture after a suspected bear attack, and a police officer was injured nearby, reports said. It was not immediately clear if the death was confirmed as a bear attack. Police shot and killed a 100kg bear during a prolonged standoff in a residential area, according to local media. Government data shows that five people died in animal attacks in Iwate between July and October last year. The last known bear attack before the hibernation period was on 3 November in Yuzawa, Akita prefecture, according to the environment ministry.
According to reports, bears have been spotted in urban areas across northeastern Japan, including Fukushima, Iwate and Aomori prefectures. At least five Asiatic black bears were seen within 10 days in Aomori, with similar alerts in Iwate and Fukushima, local media reported. In Kurihara, Miyagi prefecture, a town moved daily exercise indoors and a supermarket opened a 560m indoor walking course, according to reports. Last year, the Japanese government deployed the military in Akita prefecture to help contain the surge in attacks, according to local media. Experts attributed the previous surge to a shortage of beechnuts, but a better crop is expected this year. The Japanese black bear can grow to nearly 130kg, while the brown bear in Hokkaido can weigh up to 400kg, according to local reports.