When the Wild Comes to Town: Japan Battles a Wave of Bear Attacks

Recently, Japan has witnessed a sharp rise in bear attacks which has aroused public concern. Bears have been increasingly sighted in residential neighborhoods, on school grounds, supermarkets, and train stations.  During the current fiscal year, approximately 100 individuals have been injured and at least 12 were killed.  This issue has become so serious that the British government added a bear warning to its Japan travel advisory.  Additionally, a new app called “Bowbear” was launched in Japan to help deter bears and improve public safety.

Limitations on bear hunting in Japan are among the key factors contributing to the current crisis.  Under the Wildlife Protection, Control and Hunting Management Act, hunting is permitted only under controlled conditions, including licensed hunter, specified means, and management situation.  As a result, soldiers may only assist in setting box traps with food, transport local hunters and dispose of carcasses.  They may not use firearms to cull the bears, as lethal control is restricted exclusively to licensed hunters.  On top of that, soldiers’ primary goal is national defense, and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces are severely understaffed, so the government must rely on local hunters’ association to deal with bear attacks.  Yet, hunters are increasingly reluctant to cooperate in bear-culling operations owing to a critical incident happened seven years ago.

In 2018, a 75-year-old hunter in Hokkaido was asked by local municipality to cull a brown bear.  However, after successfully culling down the brown bear, the hunter’s firearm permit was later revoked for improperly shooting toward the building in the residential area.  The district court initially ruled in his favor, but the higher court upheld the revocation. Although the case is still on appeal, it raised concerns among hunting association about the chilling effect on bear-culling operations with some hunters stating that “We can’t continue if we’re going to be penalized.”

In February, Japan moved to ease its strict hunting laws to tackle the escalating problem of bear attacks, allowing local councils to authorize hunters to carry out emergency shooting of brown and black bear in the populated areas.  The revised wildlife protection act permits such action only when other preventive measures are ineffective and there is no risk to residents. Nevertheless, the framework for emergency shooting is still restrictive and limits hunters’ ability to operate effectively.  More recently, Japan’s National Police Agency has approved a new amendment, set to take effect on November 13. Under the revised regulation, police officers are now permitted to use rifles to kill bears that appear in urban areas when there is insufficient time to obtain local authorities’ approval for an emergency shooting.

Despite legal amendments and government warnings, these measures remain inadequate to curb the growing danger.  Hunters remain concerned about losing their licenses for alleged improper conduct during emergency shooting, while without the expert knowledge, police manpower is insufficient to cope with bears that are highly aggressive and capable of moving at great speed.  Moreover, once the bears become accustomed to human food or have previously consumed human flesh, they tend to associate humans with potential food sources, heightening the risk of direct predatory behavior toward people. More comprehensive strategies and legal frameworks are urgently needed to help hunters and law enforcement manage bear populations and protect public safety.

Article Written by Kuan-Ting Chen

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