Keiji Minatoya thought his end had come when a bear knocked him to the ground and bit his face in the garage of his home in northern Japan, where deadly encounters with the animals have multiplied in recent months.
- check it out: Japan records small tsunami after earthquake at sea; Understands
He survived the attack in 2023 in Akita Prefecture. But since April, a record 13 people have died at the hands of the mammals, and dozens of terrified Japanese have reported how they have invaded homes, wandered into schools or sneaked into supermarkets.
The government is trying to deal with this phenomenon, including sending soldiers. Scientists attribute the increase in bear numbers to the lack of food this year, especially walnuts. It also contributed to the migration of residents from rural areas.
Minatoya, a 68-year-old pastry chef, remembers how he struggled to protect his head before finally finding refuge in his kitchen. “I thought: This is how I’m going to die,” he said.
The number of deaths in the current fiscal year, which began in April, has been double the previous record set two years ago.
Attacks by brown bears – which can weigh up to 500 kg and are faster than humans – and Asian black bears mainly affect the north of the country.
Among the recent victims was a 67-year-old man who was found beheaded in October in Iwate Prefecture, near Akita. The body of another man, in his 60s, who was likely attacked while cleaning an outbuilding at an isolated spa, was found in nearby woods.
In addition, more than 100 people were infected between April and September, according to official data.
The number of brown bears has doubled in 30 years, reaching 12,000, while the number of black bears has reached 42,000 on Honshu, the main island of Japan, according to the government.
“The population size exceeds the capacity of the mountains,” explained Naoki Onishi, a researcher at the Forest Research Institute.
Although rising temperatures due to climate change are causing a significant abundance of walnuts, production fluctuates greatly from year to year. In 2025, it was relatively low, as well as in 2023, the year of the attack on Minatoya.
As a result, the bears, often accompanied by their cubs, descend on the city in search of food, said Shinsuke Koike, a professor at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.
Japan’s declining rural population, due to falling birth rates and the migration of young people to cities, is also blurring the boundaries between habitats.
The fear is palpable in the villages, where residents attach bells to their backpacks to ward off bears and discuss attacks in bars. Warning signs are everywhere.
“I have a feeling that bears come down from the mountains often,” said Kakeru Matsuhashi, a 28-year-old traditional hunter from northeastern Japan. “We hear about attacks almost every day.”
Researcher Onishi believes that “mass culling” of bears is the only effective solution to ensure the safety of the population. However, resources are scarce: the number of fishermen has halved since 1980, reaching 220,000 in 2020.
Between 2023 and 2024, more than 9,000 bears were killed, and another 4,200 between April and September last year. In Akita, where more than 1,000 animals have been killed this year, authorities have requested help from the military to transport traps, poachers and captured animals.
Furthermore, riot police are now allowed to shoot animals, after rules on the use of their weapons were relaxed. Winter will bring relief: the bears will hibernate, which will reduce incursions, but the threat remains.
“It’s like living on a bear safari,” admitted Hajime Naki, a professor of medicine at Akita University Hospital who has been treating injuries caused by bears for 30 years. “We are witnessing a disaster.”
About The Author
