Japan has declared a fresh emergency as bears awaken from hibernation. Over the past year, bear attacks killed 13 people and injured 224, prompting the government to launch a comprehensive response plan. The strategy goes beyond immediate damage control to include a medium- to long-term initiative aimed at reducing the bear population.
The Ministry of the Environment and local media reported Monday that the government held an interministerial meeting on March 27 and finalized a "Bear Damage Countermeasure Roadmap" outlining response measures through 2030. The plan centers on setting regional capture targets and expanding field personnel.
According to the Ministry of the Environment's tally, bear-related casualties for fiscal year 2025 (provisional figures through February 2026) reached 237, with 13 fatalities — the highest on record. The death toll is more than double that of fiscal year 2023.
Sixty-six percent of victims were attacked not in forests but in residential areas such as urban streets and farmland. By region, Akita Prefecture recorded the most casualties at 66, followed by Iwate Prefecture with 37, Fukushima Prefecture with 24, and Niigata Prefecture with 17.
Experts cite climate change shortening bears' hibernation periods and the weakening of buffer zones near forested areas due to aging demographics and population decline as primary causes.
The centerpiece of the plan is securing bear hunters. The government will introduce a "government hunter" system that employs hunting license holders as full-time civil servants. It aims to triple the current nationwide bear-capture workforce from 784 to 2,500 by 2030, with improved compensation. The government also plans to recruit retired Self-Defense Forces and police personnel.
Akita Prefecture, where damage has been most severe, formally requested the deployment of Self-Defense Forces, and the government approved a limited dispatch. The National Public Safety Commission also revised its regulations to grant police officers authority to use rifles, and riot police units will be deployed for bear elimination operations.
The plan also focuses on reducing the bear population. From April to November last year, a record 12,659 bears were captured. However, Japan's total bear population is estimated at approximately 50,000, and analysts say capturing alone is insufficient to curb population growth.
The roadmap sets an annual capture target of approximately 20% in the hard-hit Tohoku region, exceeding the natural growth rate. If achieved, the bear population could be reduced to roughly 65% of its current level by 2030.
Provisional regional capture quotas for fiscal year 2026 are set at 3,800 for Tohoku, 3,500 for Chubu, 900 for Kinki-Chugoku, and 600 for Kanto. Hokkaido is pursuing a separate plan to substantially reduce its brown bear population from current levels by 2034.
Equipment procurement will proceed in parallel. The government plans to secure 10,000 box traps and 20,000 bear-deterrent spray canisters. The central government will subsidize personnel costs and equipment purchases for response staff hired by local governments. Regulatory changes have also been made. Through a revised Wildlife Protection and Management Act, the government began allowing emergency firearm captures in urban areas under certain conditions starting last September. Previously, strict restrictions on urban firearm use had made effective response virtually impossible.
Through this roadmap, the government plans to aggressively pursue captures starting this spring. Over the long term, it intends to implement policies separating human residential zones from bear habitats.