Asia-Pacific

Communities in Rural Japan Train To Deal With Bear Encounters

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By Patrick Chen/Bryn Thomas

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Authorities in central Japan's Tochigi Prefecture have carried out a bear attack response drill as concerns grow over increasing encounters between humans and bears as climate change, habitat shifts and rural depopulation push bears closer to populated areas.

Rogue Bears in Japan

 

REPORTER:  

What would you do if attacked by a bear? A town in central Japan has been trying to answer this very question and they say practice is key.

 

REPORTER:  

Tochigi Prefecture in central Japan. An emergency task force responds to a wild bear at a school.

 

It’s a very real threat in this mountainous part of the country, but in this case the bear is fake, a local government staffer in disguise.

 

Sato Kei (LOCAL GOV’T STAFF AND BEAR ACTOR):  

“I couldn’t see a thing and it was hot.”

 

REPORTER:  

A week ago, life in the nearby city of Utsunomiya ground to a halt for several days – closing schools and a university campus — amid reports that a bear was running amok in the streets.

 

The bear was later captured but fears of similar incursions remain – prompting these drills.

 

Kimijima Fuminori (HUNTER WHO TOOK PART IN DRILL):  

There really have been more bears around recently, so this kind of training is necessary. I think it would be much quicker if we worked in collaboration with the police, the forestry department and the local authorities like the town hall. So I think exercises like this help identify (problems) and improve that coordination.

 

REPORTER:  

Using a drone, charts and maps, local police, accredited hunters and government officials worked together to take down the rogue bear portrayed by the masked local official.

 

Sato Kei (LOCAL GOV’T STAFF AND BEAR ACTOR):  

“Yes, I think actually running simulations and putting them into practice is very relevant to real-world situations.”

 

REPORTER:  

Japan has seen a spike in dangerous human encounters with bears. The environment ministry reported a record 238 casualties in 2025 including 13 deaths. In response, the government has set up an emergency task force – and many communities like Tochigi are determined to be ready.

 

Maruyama Tetsuya (WILDLIFE COUNTERMEASURES DEPT.):  

“Last year, an emergency hunting system was introduced, which allows bears to be captured using firearms when they appear in urban areas. However, in order to carry this task out, as well as the evacuation of local residents and safety management, various preparation measures are needed, and they all require practice. So I think it was good that we were able to work with a smooth flow (during the drill), as we did on this occasion.”

 

REPORTER:  

Tochigi’s emergency drill addresses a growing threat. Bear populations have risen in increasingly depopulated rural corners of Japan. In addition, unusual weather patterns – linked to climate change -- are affecting their food supply. As a result, hungry bears are creeping into populated areas.

 

In early June, one bear injured four people in the city of Fukushima – tackling one person to the ground.

 

Local people are increasingly aware of the need to be on guard against ursine intruders – and they’re no longer willing to grin and bear it.