Japan has seen 13 bear-related fatalities in the fiscal year starting April 1, but experts indicate this surge is a return to historical norms rather than an anomaly. Records show bears have been attacking and killing people at alarming rates for over a century, from Hokkaido's remote areas to Honshu's rural villages.
Bear attacks in Japan are not a recent anomaly but a persistent issue spanning over a century. According to Environment Ministry data since 2008, fatal bear attacks average about three per year, exceeding the roughly two in the United States. Adjusted for population, a person in Japan is 4.2 times more likely to be killed by a bear than in the U.S.
Koji Yamazaki, a professor of animal ecology at Tokyo University of Agriculture, states, “Japan likely has the highest number of bear-human incidents in the world.” Attacks often appear more random, sustained, and vicious, with multiple fatalities from a single bear being unusually common. For instance, the 1915 Sankebetsu brown bear incident saw one bear kill seven people over six days, the second-deadliest on record after India's 1957 Mysore sloth bear attack with 12 victims. Other historical cases include three deaths in the 1878 Okadama incident and four in the 1923 Ishikari-Numata-Horoshin incident.
Japan hosts about 13,000 brown bears in Hokkaido—possibly over 20,000—and 50,000 Asiatic black bears on Honshu and Shikoku, creating high density. Toshio Tsubota, a professor of wildlife biology at Hokkaido University, explains, “Japan is small, and nearly 70% is covered in forests,” pushing human and bear habitats into close proximity. Poor wildlife management exacerbates the issue. Shinsuke Koike, head of the Japan Bear Network, notes, “Japan has never really invested the money or effort into wildlife management.”
Cultural factors, like urban affection for cute bear characters, may hinder culling efforts. Genetically, Asiatic black bears and Ezo brown bears evolved under Siberian tiger threats, potentially making them more aggressive. Frank van Manen of the U.S. Geological Survey says North American black bears are docile and retreat, unlike their Japanese counterparts.
These elements contribute to Japan's unique bear challenges. Records show a peak of five brown bear fatalities in Hokkaido in 1964, indicating the current uptick aligns with historical patterns.