The number of people killed by bears in Japan this year has reached a record high, the country's environment ministry has said.
Seven people have died since April—the highest since 2006 when data was first recorded—with fatalities mostly concentrated in north-eastern regions and the northern prefecture of Hokkaido.
A recent incident involved a 60-year-old man who went missing while cleaning an outdoor hot spring bath.
Bear attacks tend to escalate in the autumn as bears prepare for hibernation. Experts suggest that low yields of beech nuts attributed to climate change may be pushing these hungry animals into residential areas. Depopulation in rural regions is another factor contributing to this growing problem.
The latest environmental ministry figures indicate that the seven fatalities this year have surpassed the five recorded during the year to April 2024. About 100 additional people have suffered injuries, a notable rise from the 85 injuries and three fatalities reported over the previous 12 months.
Recent investigations uncovered human blood and bear fur at the scene of the latest suspected bear attack in Kitakami, Iwate prefecture, where a man found dead last week was confirmed to have been killed by a bear.
Another incident occurred in Numata, Gunma, north of Tokyo, where a bear entered a supermarket, lightly injuring two older men. This event marked the first time bears have approached this store, located near mountainous areas.
Additionally, a farmer in Iwate region was scratched and bitten by a bear near his house, which had a cub with it. Earlier this month, a Spanish tourist faced an attack by a bear while waiting at a bus stop in Shirakawa-go, central Japan.
In Japan, two species of bears can be found: the Asian black bear and the larger brown bear, mainly located on Hokkaido island.
