Bear Encounters Increasing in Japan's Urban Areas; 2 Dead in Hokkaido, Iwate Prefectures in July
'Obsessed with garbage'
'I'm afraid to go outside. I've been living here for 20 years, but this is the first time something like this has happened,' said a 70-year-old man in the town of Fukushima, Hokkaido, his voice trembling. In the early hours of July 12, a 52-year-old man delivering newspapers was attacked and killed by a brown bear. The incident occurred in a residential area about 700 meters from the town office; the victim was found dead after being dragged into the grass.
Even after the incident was reported, the bear had damaged a nearby supermarket's garbage storage site and no children could be seen playing outdoors. This was Hokkaido's first fatal brown bear attack in an urban area since 2006, when the Environment Ministry began keeping statistics.
The brown bear, estimated to be an 8- to 9-year-old male measuring 208 centimeters in length and weighing 218 kilograms, was culled by hunters on July 18. Even more shocking to residents and experts was the DNA analysis results revealing that the same bear had attacked and killed a woman (then 77) in a field about three kilometers away four years ago.
'There have been no cases of a bear repeatedly appearing in an urban area. The bear might have been obsessed with the garbage in urban areas,' said Yoshikazu Sato, professor of wildlife ecology at the Rakuno Gakuen University.
Attacked inside a residence
According to a survey conducted by the ministry from fiscal 2016 to 2018, over half of human injuries and deaths caused by bears nationwide occurred in forests. In fiscal 2023, however, more than 50% occurred in urban areas, places near residences or on farmland, and in fiscal 2024, nearly 40% occurred in such areas. This indicates that bears are increasingly entering human-inhabited areas.
One of the factors is the expansion of bear habitats. Since the 1980s, regulations on bear hunting have been implemented across the country, while abandoned farmland has increased due to depopulation and aging of residents, creating more bushes where bears can hide.
On July 4, an 81-year-old woman was attacked and killed by an Asian black bear that had entered her home in a village near forests and farmland in the Waga district of Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture. According to the ministry, 50 people have been killed by bears nationwide over the past two decades, but this is believed to be the first case in which a victim was killed inside a residence.
Nearby, bears appeared to have eaten rice stored in sheds on residential properties and damaged warehouse walls.
Koji Yamazaki, professor of animal ecology at the Tokyo University of Agriculture, pointed out, 'The environment where bears can thrive is changing. In order to prevent humans from being attacked, it is urgent to investigate the causes and implement countermeasures.'
Acorn shortages
One reason behind bears coming into urban areas is the poor acorn harvest in the autumn of 2023. Bears that scavenged through locations such as garbage collection sites might have learned that they can find food there and settled in human living areas. Traditionally, bears were more likely to appear in urban areas in autumn, but in recent years, they have been seen year-round.
From April to June this year, a total of 37 people were killed or injured by bears across the nation — almost the same pace as fiscal 2023, which saw a record number of incidents. This autumn, a severe shortage of Japanese beech trees that bear acorns is expected in six prefectures in the Tohoku region, according to the Tohoku Regional Forest Office and others. This could cause more bears to enter urban areas.
Kazuhiko Maita, director of the Institute for Asian Black Bear Research and Preservation based in Hiroshima Prefecture, warned, 'Bears no longer fear humans and the level of danger is increasing. If food shortages cause bear density in urban areas to increase, we must be more vigilant than ever about harm to humans.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Bear Encounters Increasing in Japan's Urban Areas; 2 Dead in Hokkaido, Iwate Prefectures in July
HAKODATE, Hokkaido / KITAKAMI, Iwate — Bears are increasingly entering human-inhabited areas and attacking people living there. In July, two people were killed each in Iwate and Hokkaido prefectures. Depopulation and expansion of abandoned farmland have brought bear habitats closer to urban areas, leading to an increase in 'urban bears,' unafraid of humans. Measures to prevent encounters between bears and residents are urgently needed. 'Obsessed with garbage' 'I'm afraid to go outside. I've been living here for 20 years, but this is the first time something like this has happened,' said a 70-year-old man in the town of Fukushima, Hokkaido, his voice trembling. In the early hours of July 12, a 52-year-old man delivering newspapers was attacked and killed by a brown bear. The incident occurred in a residential area about 700 meters from the town office; the victim was found dead after being dragged into the grass. Even after the incident was reported, the bear had damaged a nearby supermarket's garbage storage site and no children could be seen playing outdoors. This was Hokkaido's first fatal brown bear attack in an urban area since 2006, when the Environment Ministry began keeping statistics. The brown bear, estimated to be an 8- to 9-year-old male measuring 208 centimeters in length and weighing 218 kilograms, was culled by hunters on July 18. Even more shocking to residents and experts was the DNA analysis results revealing that the same bear had attacked and killed a woman (then 77) in a field about three kilometers away four years ago. 'There have been no cases of a bear repeatedly appearing in an urban area. The bear might have been obsessed with the garbage in urban areas,' said Yoshikazu Sato, professor of wildlife ecology at the Rakuno Gakuen University. Attacked inside a residence According to a survey conducted by the ministry from fiscal 2016 to 2018, over half of human injuries and deaths caused by bears nationwide occurred in forests. In fiscal 2023, however, more than 50% occurred in urban areas, places near residences or on farmland, and in fiscal 2024, nearly 40% occurred in such areas. This indicates that bears are increasingly entering human-inhabited areas. One of the factors is the expansion of bear habitats. Since the 1980s, regulations on bear hunting have been implemented across the country, while abandoned farmland has increased due to depopulation and aging of residents, creating more bushes where bears can hide. On July 4, an 81-year-old woman was attacked and killed by an Asian black bear that had entered her home in a village near forests and farmland in the Waga district of Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture. According to the ministry, 50 people have been killed by bears nationwide over the past two decades, but this is believed to be the first case in which a victim was killed inside a residence. Nearby, bears appeared to have eaten rice stored in sheds on residential properties and damaged warehouse walls. Koji Yamazaki, professor of animal ecology at the Tokyo University of Agriculture, pointed out, 'The environment where bears can thrive is changing. In order to prevent humans from being attacked, it is urgent to investigate the causes and implement countermeasures.' Acorn shortages One reason behind bears coming into urban areas is the poor acorn harvest in the autumn of 2023. Bears that scavenged through locations such as garbage collection sites might have learned that they can find food there and settled in human living areas. Traditionally, bears were more likely to appear in urban areas in autumn, but in recent years, they have been seen year-round. From April to June this year, a total of 37 people were killed or injured by bears across the nation — almost the same pace as fiscal 2023, which saw a record number of incidents. This autumn, a severe shortage of Japanese beech trees that bear acorns is expected in six prefectures in the Tohoku region, according to the Tohoku Regional Forest Office and others. This could cause more bears to enter urban areas. Kazuhiko Maita, director of the Institute for Asian Black Bear Research and Preservation based in Hiroshima Prefecture, warned, 'Bears no longer fear humans and the level of danger is increasing. If food shortages cause bear density in urban areas to increase, we must be more vigilant than ever about harm to humans.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Hong Kong Issues Arrest Warrants for 19 Overseas Activists Accused of Subversion
HONG KONG, July 25 (Reuters) – Hong Kong's national security police announced arrest warrants for 19 activists based overseas, accusing them of subversion under a stringent national security law, marking the largest such tally yet. They are accused of organising or participating in the 'Hong Kong Parliament', a group that authorities in the Asian financial hub say aimed to subvert state power, under the law Beijing imposed in 2020 following months of pro-democracy protests in 2019. The activists are accused of having launched a referendum or run as candidates in the unofficial 'Hong Kong Parliament' group, which authorities say aims at achieving self-determination and drafting a 'Hong Kong constitution'. Police, who said the organisation sought to overthrow the governments of China and Hong Kong by unlawful means, said they are still investigating and further arrests may follow. Among those named are businessman Elmer Yuen, commentator Victor Ho, and activists Johnny Fok and Tony Choi. Four of them are subject to previous arrest warrants, each carrying a bounty of HK$1 million ($127,000). Among the remaining 15, for each of whom police are offering a bounty of HK$200,000 ($25,480), are those said to have organised or run in the election and sworn in as its councillors. None of the accused could be reached for comment. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday condemned the move, which he said targeted some U.S.-based individuals. 'We will not tolerate the Hong Kong government's attempts to apply its national security laws to silence or intimidate Americans or anyone on U.S. soil,' he wrote in a statement, calling it 'a form of transnational repression.' The UK's Foreign and Home Secretaries also condemned the move in a joint statement, calling the arrests 'another example of transnational repression' and saying it damages Hong Kong's international reputation. '(The UK) will not tolerate attempts by foreign governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas,' it said in a statement on Friday. In response, the Chinese embassy in the UK said the British government's remarks 'constitute a gross interference' in China's internal affairs and the rule of law in Hong Kong. 'China urges the UK to abandon its colonial mentality, stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs…stop shielding criminals,' it said. The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of a high degree of autonomy, including freedom of speech, under a 'one country, two systems' formula. Critics of the national security law say authorities are using it to stifle dissent. Chinese and Hong Kong officials have repeatedly said the law was vital to restore stability after the city was rocked for months by sometimes violent anti-government and anti-China protests in 2019. Police reiterated that national security offenses were serious crimes with extraterritorial reach and urged the wanted individuals to return to Hong Kong and surrender. 'If offenders voluntarily give up continuing to violate the crime, turn themselves in, truthfully confess their crimes, or provide key information that helps solve other cases, they may be eligible for reduced punishment,' they said in a statement. Police also warned that aiding, abetting, or funding others to participate in the 'Hong Kong Parliament' could be a criminal offense. ($1=7.8488 Hong Kong dollars)
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Japan Today
Hong Kong issues arrest warrants for 19 overseas activists accused of subversion
Images of five activists Simon Cheng, Frances Hui, Joey Siu, Johnny Fok, and Tony Choi are displayed during a press conference to issue arrest warrants in Hong Kong, China December 14, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu By Jessie Pang Hong Kong's national security police announced arrest warrants for 19 activists based overseas, accusing them of subversion under a stringent national security law, marking the largest such tally yet. They are accused of organising or participating in the "Hong Kong Parliament", a group that authorities in the Asian financial hub say aimed to subvert state power, under the law Beijing imposed in 2020 following months of pro-democracy protests in 2019. The activists are accused of having launched a referendum or run as candidates in the unofficial "Hong Kong Parliament" group, which authorities say aims at achieving self-determination and drafting a "Hong Kong constitution". Police, who said the organisation sought to overthrow the governments of China and Hong Kong by unlawful means, said they are still investigating and further arrests may follow. Among those named are businessman Elmer Yuen, commentator Victor Ho, and activists Johnny Fok and Tony Choi. Four of them are subject to previous arrest warrants, each carrying a bounty of HK$1 million ($127,000). Among the remaining 15, for each of whom police are offering a bounty of HK$200,000 ($25,480), are those said to have organised or run in the election and sworn in as its councillors. None of the accused could be reached for comment. The UK's Foreign and Home Secretaries condemned the move in a joint statement, calling the arrests "another example of transnational repression" and saying it damages Hong Kong's international reputation. "(The UK) will not tolerate attempts by foreign governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas," it said in a statement on Friday. In response, the Chinese embassy in the UK said the British government's remarks "constitute a gross interference" in China's internal affairs and the rule of law in Hong Kong. "China urges the UK to abandon its colonial mentality, stop interfering in Hong Kong shielding criminals," it said. The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of a high degree of autonomy, including freedom of speech, under a "one country, two systems" formula. Critics of the national security law say authorities are using it to stifle dissent. Chinese and Hong Kong officials have repeatedly said the law was vital to restore stability after the city was rocked for months by sometimes violent anti-government and anti-China protests in 2019. Police reiterated that national security offenses were serious crimes with extraterritorial reach and urged the wanted individuals to return to Hong Kong and surrender. "If offenders voluntarily give up continuing to violate the crime, turn themselves in, truthfully confess their crimes, or provide key information that helps solve other cases, they may be eligible for reduced punishment," they said in a statement. Police also warned that aiding, abetting, or funding others to participate in the "Hong Kong Parliament" could be a criminal offense. © (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025.
