A mutilated body has been discovered in a mountainous area not far from central Tokyo, prompting Japanese police to investigate the possibility of a bear attack. As bear sightings and human casualties surge across Japan, anxiety is growing that "even mountains near Tokyo are no longer safe."
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) and Yomiuri Shimbun on Wednesday, the unidentified body was found around 1 p.m. that day in a mountainous area of Okutama, Tokyo. Either the upper or lower half of the body was severely damaged, making it difficult to immediately determine the gender or age, according to reports.
The body was first discovered by an off-duty police officer. An officer from the Ome Police Station was hiking the mountain on his day off on the 14th when he detected a strong odor of decay off the hiking trail and found what appeared to be a body, prompting him to report it. About 30 people, including police and members of a local hunting association, then conducted a joint search and recovered the body near a cliff about 100 meters below the trail.
Numerous footprints and droppings of large wild animals were found around the site. Police are investigating the possibility of a mountain accident as well as the possibility that the victim was killed in a wild bear attack. A hiking backpack believed to belong to the deceased was also reportedly found nearby.
Bear sightings have been surging in the Okutama region recently. Just two days earlier, on the 17th, a Russian man in his 30s was attacked by a bear on a mountain trail in the same area, suffering serious injuries to his face and arms. Local authorities have since restricted some hiking trails and ridges and stepped up patrols.
Notices reading "Carry a bear repellent bell" have been posted at JR stations. Local accounts have also emerged of some hikers climbing mountains while loudly playing dog-barking sounds on their smartphones. Among residents, reactions have continued such as: "I used to go often to gather wild greens, but now even taking a walk is frightening."
The bear population in Tokyo itself is also on the rise. According to a Tokyo metropolitan government survey, the number of bears living in the metropolis is approximately 240, an increase of about 80 from the previous survey. The number of reported bear sightings and traces in Okutama also rose to 41 in April-May this year from 28 during the same period last year.
The situation is serious across Japan. According to Japan's Ministry of the Environment, there were 216 cases of human casualties caused by bears last year, of which 13 people died. Analysts point to climate change, food shortages, and changes in forest environments as factors increasing the number of cases in which bears descend near residential areas and human habitats.
Local authorities are cutting down trees and clearing brush around mountains to prevent bears from approaching residential areas, while urging residents not to leave food waste outside.
If the cause of death in this case is confirmed to be an actual bear attack, it is highly likely to be recorded as a very rare case within Tokyo. Japanese police are currently investigating the exact identity and cause of death through DNA analysis and examination of personal belongings.
