Japan’s Bear Market Crisis: Extraordinarily Complex

2025 may be the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac, but in Japan, it’s the miserable Year of the Bear. As of November, 13 people have been killed in bear attacks, and the number remains at a record six in 2024. In addition, 209 people were injured in the Tohoku region of northeastern Japan, Hokkaido and other areas. These incidents are not isolated.

Bears have been found entering people’s yards, supermarkets, schools and even toilets at train stations in Gunma Prefecture. The threat of animal attacks is now a daily problem in some Japanese towns. But it’s also a widely misunderstood issue. Let’s take a closer look at the issue and clear up some misunderstandings.

The cause is not human aggression

It’s easy to think that the cause of bear attacks is simple: humans. Once again we are forcibly occupying nature’s turf through urban development, and now nature is fighting back. That’s basically it Princess Mononoke Tried to teach us back in 1997. But the strange thing is, Princess Mononoke There may not be all the answers this time, as current Japanese bear attacks are likely the result of human absence.

According to a 2025 report from Japan Bear Network, a research and conservation organization, bear distribution in Japan roughly doubled from 1978 to 2018, as widespread depopulation in rural areas led to a significant increase in bear numbers.

Japan was once a land of villages, but many of them are now abandoned because the previous residents either left for more job opportunities in the big cities or have passed away. and as Human villages have become extinctBear habitat has expanded, and persimmon, chestnut, and walnut orchards continue to grow wild, providing a convenient food source for black and brown bears.

After the reactor meltdown, Fukushima established large exclusion zones and forced evacuations, which also created overgrown areas where bears could roam undisturbed, exacerbating the problem in northern Japan.

When these places were still inhabited, locals controlled bear populations through culling and even ritualized religious hunts in parts of the Northeast, which produced generations of outstanding shooters known as “bears.” wind However, like the Japanese countryside, they are slowly disappearing.

Our old friend global warming strikes again

So even if humans are not directly Despite the surge in bear attacks, we are still responsible for them due to global warming. final, Princess Mononoke is right. Humans are the worst. Never, ever doubt that movie.

Increasing bear populations and expanding habitat do not automatically translate into more bear attacks. Bears generally want nothing to do with humans and will only attack when frightened on their territory. But when there are too many of them and not enough food, they venture further afield, even into human settlements. 2025 was the hottest summer on record, beating the record of 2024, which broke the record of 2023, and so on. hot weather is Very It’s good for bear reproduction, but it’s also deadly to acorns, wild nuts and other staples of the bear’s diet.

As their numbers increase, young bears may find themselves driven out of the forest due to intense competition. Inexperienced and very hungry, these animals prefer to approach humans, which may explain the increase in bear sightings and maulings. This problem only gets worse as we enter winter, and bears begin to search even more desperately for the food they need to hibernate in urban centers.

So besides promoting bear meat as a new Japanese delicacy (one village in Aomori Prefecture is actually trying it), how do we solve this problem?

Welcome to Gun Japan

Rural depopulation in Japan is a very complex problem that will take years or even decades to be properly addressed. Coping with global warming possible It would take longer if we started solving these two problems today, but we won’t. On the contrary, local governments have begun to guide Oda “Demon King” Nobunaga,Decide firearms is the answer to all their questions.

Japan’s gun laws are among the strictest in the world, but have actually been steadily being relaxed over the past few months to help deter bear attacks. Hunters are now allowed to shoot and kill in urban areas in emergencies, and police are organized into rifle squads to carry out culls. In some areas, they may cooperate with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. So far, the Japan Self-Defense Force has only been used for logistical support, but given the majority (80%) support for the idea in Japan, its members may soon be deployed as emergency hunters.

There are also programs in place to subsidize hunting equipment and increase bounties for captured or killed bears. Unfortunately, this plan is likely to backfire (no pun intended) due to stray bullets in densely populated areas. The Japanese’s willingness to take such risks underscores how fearful they are of bear attacks. However, it remains to be seen what impact relaxed gun laws will have on bear issues and daily life, as the situation on the ground is still evolving.

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