"We Can't Take It Anymore": Government Steps In as 6,063 Bears Captured in Six Months

Frequent Bear Attacks Lead to Self-Defense Forces Deployment in Akita Prefecture
Tasks Include Setting Up Large Traps and Transporting Captured Bears

The Japanese government has decided to deploy members of the Self-Defense Forces to support Akita Prefecture in northern Honshu, where a series of bear attacks have resulted in casualties.

According to local media such as Kyodo News on the 5th, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is scheduled to sign an agreement with Kazuno City in northern Akita Prefecture and begin support activities later that afternoon. It is highly unusual for Self-Defense Force personnel to be deployed in response to bear-related incidents.

Defense Minister Junichiro Koizumi stated the previous day, "The primary mission of the Self-Defense Forces is national defense, but considering the unique nature of the situation and from the perspective of protecting citizens' lives, we will take the necessary measures." He added, "We will sequentially deploy personnel as soon as the regions requiring support are ready." Earlier, on October 28, Akita Governor Kenta Suzuki had requested the Ministry of Defense to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces, saying, "It has become difficult for local governments to respond to bears descending into villages using only their administrative resources."

In response, the Ministry of Defense decided to deploy personnel from the Akita Garrison of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, located in Akita City, to support bear control activities. The Self-Defense Force members will be involved in tasks such as setting up large traps and transporting captured bears, but will not directly participate in armed capture or killing of the animals. The Self-Defense Forces, in coordination with Akita Prefecture, plan to expand the deployment areas starting with Kazuno City, depending on the state of preparations.

A member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces stands next to a military vehicle while practicing setting up a bear trap on the 5th in Kazuno, Akita Prefecture, Japan. Kazuno, Japan=Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Since April this year, four people have died and 60 have been injured due to bear attacks in Akita Prefecture. In the early morning of the 4th, a man in his 70s was attacked by a bear while delivering newspapers in a residential area of Akita City, suffering injuries to his right hand and near his eye.

According to the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, as of October 27, the number of fatalities caused by bear attacks nationwide stands at 12, double last year's total of 6. In addition, from April to September, there were 20,792 reported bear sightings by local governments and police, an increase of 31.3% compared to the same period last year. This is the highest number since records began in 2009. During the same period, 6,063 bears were captured, also setting a new record.

6,063 Bears Captured in Six Months

This year, Japan has been struggling with bears approaching residential areas and attacking people. Analysts attribute the increased bear incursions into villages to two main factors: a long-term rise in the bear population, and a poor harvest of acorns and other forest nuts that serve as their food supply this year.

In Akita Prefecture alone, on October 26, an 85-year-old resident of Kazuno City was attacked by a bear and sustained head injuries. Bears have also appeared in urban areas of Akita City, the prefectural capital. After repeated bear sightings in a park near Akita Station over two days from October 25, city authorities temporarily closed the park. Earlier, on October 20, a bear appeared in downtown Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture, attacking four men; this bear hid in a residential area and was captured in a trap in the early morning of October 25, nearly 120 hours later.

In response, the Japanese government, on October 30, elevated the meeting on bear damage countermeasures to a cabinet-level meeting for the first time.