Why Japan Is Seeing Frequent Bear Encounters This Year

Japan has recently experienced a surge in bear attacks on humans, with the death toll reaching a record high. There have also been numerous cases of bears intruding into human settlements, causing public concern. Japanese experts analyzing the situation believe the frequent bear appearances result from multiple factors and require targeted measures.

Recently, bears have been frequently spotted in residential areas across Japan. They have been found in a factory in Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture; inside a room at a hot spring hotel in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture; on a farm in Otama Village, Fukushima Prefecture; inside the government office of Nishimeya Village, Aomori Prefecture; and in the courtyard of a construction company in Agano City, Niigata Prefecture, among many other locations. Reports of bear attacks causing injuries or even deaths have also become increasingly common.

Nationwide, the number of bear sightings and attacks has been rising. According to statistics from Japan's Ministry of the Environment, in the 2023 fiscal year, there were 198 bear attack incidents, resulting in 219 human injuries, including six deaths. These figures set a record high at the time. In the current 2025 fiscal year, which is not yet over, the death toll from bear attacks has already reached 13.

To sustain themselves during hibernation, bears must consume large amounts of food in autumn and store it as fat. Therefore, if natural food sources like wild berries in the mountains are insufficient in autumn, bears venture downhill in search of food. Data from Japan's Ministry of the Environment and the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute show that global climate change in recent years has led to prolonged rainy periods and warmer winters, increasing the frequency of poor harvests of acorns and beech nuts. Bears unable to find enough food in the mountains are forced to expand their range, moving to lower elevations and even into villages.

Some experts believe that due to population decline and dispersed living patterns, coupled with an increase in abandoned farmland, the boundary between forests and human settlements has become increasingly blurred, making it easier for bears to frequent residential areas in search of food. Additionally, in rural villages, agricultural mechanization has reduced the need for human labor, and unattended farmland provides an environment where bears can easily intrude. The decline and aging of the agricultural population also mean that fruits and crops are not harvested in time during the ripening season, further attracting bears.

However, other experts argue that the root cause of bears frequently appearing in human settlements is not food shortages in the mountains but rather Japan's current overpopulation of bears.

Professor Mayumi Yokoyama of Hyogo Prefectural University, who has been involved in bear prevention efforts in Hyogo Prefecture for over 20 years, told local media that food shortages due to poor wild berry harvests only occur in autumn, yet bears have been frequently appearing as early as April this year.