Ten-year record of bear attacks in Japan

Japan continues to face its worst spike in bear attacks in a decade, with 196 injured and dead recorded between April and the end of October, the highest toll since 2006, when comparable data became available. According to a report from the Ministry of the Environment, 88 people were attacked in 77 separate incidents in October alone, surpassing the monthly record for 2023. Seven of these attacks proved fatal, bringing the total deaths in the April-October period to 13, more than double the previous year. The attacks have spread to 21 of the nation’s 47 prefectures, with Akita leading the way (56 cases), followed by Iwate (34), Fukushima (20), Nagano (15) and Niigata (13). The month of November also marked an alarming start: at least 27 attacks, with one victim, and numerous sightings in urban areas. Faced with the emergency, the government launched a revision of the law on the protection and management of wildlife and on the optimization of hunting in September, introducing an emergency mechanism that allows the use of firearms even in urban contexts, provided it is in specific circumstances. From October to today, the system has been activated 24 times in nine prefectures, including Hokkaido, the northernmost island of the archipelago.