Increasing Bear Attacks in Japan Raise Alarms as Fatalities Surge

Tue Oct 21 2025 22:49:59 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A record number of fatal bear attacks in Japan this year prompts concerns regarding climate change and human encroachment on wildlife habitats.

Japan's environment ministry reports that seven people have been killed by bears this year, marking the highest fatalities since records began in 2006. Factors contributing to the surge in attacks include climate change and human encroachment into bear habitats. With nearly 100 injuries reported and incidents escalating as bears prepare for hibernation, experts are expressing alarm over the rising frequency of these encounters.

The number of people killed by bears in Japan this year has reached a record high, according to the country's environment ministry.

Seven people have died since April, marking the highest fatalities since 2006 when data was first recorded. Most incidents have occurred in northeastern regions and the northern prefecture of Hokkaido.

One victim, a 60-year-old man, went missing while cleaning an outdoor hot spring bath and is suspected to be a recent bear attack victim.

Bear attacks tend to increase in autumn as the animals prepare to hibernate. Experts suggest that low yields of beech nuts due to climate change may be driving hungry bears into residential areas. Furthermore, rural depopulation has made bear encounters more likely as people move away from these regions.

The environmental ministry also reported approximately 100 injuries this year, up from 85 injuries and three fatalities in the preceding year.

Forensic investigators recently found human blood and bear fur at the scene of a suspected bear attack in the city of Kitakami, Iwate prefecture. Just last week, it was confirmed that a man found dead in Iwate had been killed by a bear.

In another incident, a 1.4m (4.5ft) adult bear entered a supermarket in Numata, Gunma, north of Tokyo, lightly injuring two elderly men. This store, located near mountainous terrain, had not previously experienced bear encounters.

On the same day, a farmer in the Iwate region was attacked by a bear alongside its cub outside his home. Additionally, a Spanish tourist was injured in a bear incident at a bus stop in Shirakawa-go, central Japan earlier this month.

Japan is home to two species of bears: the Asian black bear and the larger brown bear, which is primarily found on Hokkaido.