"70%" of Bears Captured in Tohoku Region: 6,579 Recorded
Highest Number Since Statistics Began in 2006
It has been reported that nearly 10,000 bears were captured nationwide in Japan from April to October this year.
On December 23, the Asahi Shimbun cited a survey by the Ministry of the Environment, reporting these figures. This is the highest number since statistics began in 2006. The previous record was 9,099 bears in 2023. This year, the record was surpassed in less than a year.
It has been reported that nearly 10,000 bears were captured nationwide in Japan from April to October this year. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
By region, the Tohoku area in northeastern Japan accounted for about 70% of the total, with 6,579 bears captured. By prefecture, Akita recorded the highest number at 1,973, followed by Aomori with 1,154, Fukushima with 1,151, Iwate with 989, Yamagata with 968, and Miyagi with 344.
According to the data, from April to November, there were 230 human casualties due to bear attacks, with 13 fatalities. As bear sightings in residential areas increased, the Japanese government deployed police officers to kill bears in urban areas. Shooting was only permitted for bears that appeared in populated areas, not in the mountains.
As the surge in bear sightings became a major social issue, the kanji for "bear" (熊) was selected as the character that best represents Japanese society in 2025. The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation announced on December 12 at Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto that "bear" received 23,346 out of 189,122 votes submitted via postcards and the internet, making it the top choice. This is the first time in the 31-year history of the "Kanji of the Year" event that "bear" has been selected.
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