Bear Encounters Surge Across Japan as Autumn Hiking Season Peaks

Anxiety on the trails as sightings climb

Japan’s peak season for autumn foliage usually draws families, day trippers and serious mountaineers to ridgelines and river valleys across the country. This year, worry about bears is reshaping those plans. A nationwide survey of hikers by Japan Meteorological Corp. found that 77 percent feel anxious about encountering bears after a wave of sightings and incidents. More than half said their plans changed as a result, whether by switching destinations, postponing hikes, or moving to group outings. The poll, conducted between late September and mid October on a hiking information site used by enthusiasts, drew 3,594 responses, with 60 percent of respondents saying they hike at least once a month. The figures capture a jittery mood on Japan’s trails as reports of bears near towns, farms and popular trailheads have become more frequent.

Concern is not only about a chance encounter deep in the backcountry. Hikers reported avoiding routes with recent bear activity, skipping dawn starts, and sticking closer to stations and visitor centers. Among those who adjusted their behavior, the top change was selecting a different mountain, chosen by 61.6 percent, followed by canceling or postponing at 29.1 percent and choosing to hike with others at 25.2 percent. Demand for basic deterrents is rising as well, with 76.2 percent carrying bells or radios, 68.8 percent checking the latest sighting reports before entering a mountain area, and 57.4 percent saying they now carry bear spray. The shift reflects a season where risk has felt more immediate and less remote.

The anxiety is rooted in hard numbers. According to the Ministry of the Environment, 12 people were killed in bear attacks between April and October, a record for that period. From April through September there were 108 injuries, a tally on pace with last year’s high. These statistics underscore the scale of encounters now stretching from rugged national parks to the edges of busy towns.

What the data shows this year

Japan experienced 219 bear attacks in 2023 with six deaths, the most since national tracking began in 2006. The following year dipped, but 2025 has reversed that brief respite. By the end of July, officials had logged 55 attacks and three deaths, and the autumn uptick brought total fatalities to the highest level on record by late fall. Injuries have climbed past one hundred for the year. Hokkaido and the Tohoku region on Honshu remain the primary hotspots, though sightings and near misses have occurred widely, including in prefectures that ring the Tokyo area.

Iwate and Akita, two northern prefectures with mountain ranges and aging rural communities, have shouldered a large share of incidents. In Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, reports reached triple digits by spring. Even Greater Tokyo keeps an eye on bear movements, cataloging sightings on an official bear map that had recorded more than 150 reports by late August, primarily in the Okutama and Hinohara mountain districts on the city’s western edge.

The cases making headlines run the gamut. Staff at Yamagata Airport halted operations after a bear was seen crossing a runway. A women’s golf tournament paused play when a bear appeared near the first tee. In the Kanto region north of Tokyo, a bear entered a supermarket, injuring two patrons before escaping. In central Japan’s heritage village of Shirakawa go, a tourist waiting at a bus stop was attacked and treated for injuries. These events, once rare, now arrive in quick succession, feeding public concern and prompting reactive closures or patrols.

Why encounters are rising

Japan is home to two bear species with overlapping but distinct ranges. The Asiatic black bear is found across much of Honshu and parts of Shikoku and Kyushu, while the Ussuri brown bear lives only in Hokkaido. Biologists estimate roughly 44,000 black bears nationwide and around 12,000 brown bears in Hokkaido, though precise counts are challenging. Both species thrive in mixed forests where oak, beech and chestnut trees produce plentiful autumn food, and they opportunistically forage in fields and orchards at the edges of villages.

Several trends are pushing these animals closer to people. Mast failures, the poor harvest years for acorns and beechnuts that bears rely on in autumn, are more common and more widespread. Warmer winters tied to climate change can delay hibernation or cause bears to emerge early looking for calories, lengthening the window for human contact. Rural depopulation has transformed once tended satoyama landscapes, the traditional wooded buffer between villages and mountains, into overgrown zones that blur the line between human space and bear habitat. At the same time, unsecured garbage, unharvested crop residue and compost provide easy meals on town margins.

Human capacity to respond has also changed. Japan’s hunter population is aging, and the number of licensed hunters has declined for years. Local governments rely on these volunteers to set box traps and respond to emergency calls. Some prefectures have eased local gun rules to simplify bear removal in residential areas. Thousands of bears are culled each year, often by permit near farms and towns. That approach reduces immediate risk but does not resolve attractants, seasonal food stress, or the long term gap in field personnel who can track, deter and safely remove problem animals.

Hokkaido and the north face greater risk

Hokkaido’s brown bears command respect. The island hosts the country’s only population of the larger species, and encounters are most common in the mountains of Shiretoko and central Hokkaido, as well as on the rural fringes of cities such as Sapporo. This summer and autumn brought a series of severe incidents, including a fatal attack on a 26 year old hiker on Mount Rausu in the Shiretoko Peninsula. The hiker was dragged off a trail after surprising a bear around a blind corner. Search teams later recovered his body. Authorities temporarily closed the mountain, evacuated dozens of hikers by helicopter and issued a brown bear warning for the area. Trails have since reopened with stronger advisories and patrols.

The Mount Rausu case underscored a pattern that troubles rangers and local residents. A well known adult female with two cubs had reportedly approached people before the fatal encounter and showed little fear of deterrents. When bears learn to tolerate humans at close range, any surprise meeting on a narrow trail can turn dangerous, especially when cubs are involved. Rangers and hunters removed the animals in the area after confirming their role, a painful outcome for both safety and conservation goals.

A regular visitor to Shiretoko put it bluntly after the attack, reflecting a worry that proximity had desensitized people to risk.

“Now I think people, myself included, had become numb to the distance we should keep from wild animals.”

Even outside Hokkaido, risk rises in the northern prefectures of Honshu. Iwate and Akita have logged thousands of sightings in recent years. Tokyo’s mountain villages in the Tama region see periodic encounters, with hikers in Okutama urged to carry bells, travel in groups, and report sign such as fresh scat or claw marks to local offices. Many close calls never make the news, yet each one can quickly escalate if a person surprises a bear at short range.

How hikers are changing plans and gear

Survey respondents described a clear shift in behavior this autumn. The most common adjustment was to choose a different mountain or route with fewer recent sightings. Others postponed trips, or asked friends to join rather than hiking alone. Altogether, 52.8 percent said their plans were directly affected by bears. Tactics on the trail are changing as well. Carrying a bell or small radio is now routine for most hikers and foragers in bear country. More people are checking municipal websites or visitor center notices for the latest reports before setting out, then sticking to marked routes and turning back if bear sign appears fresh.

Bear spray is part of the kit for a growing number of hikers, especially in Hokkaido and Tohoku. Retailers in some prefectures have created dedicated sections for bells, whistles and spray, and a few shops offer short term spray rentals. Spray must be carried where it can be reached instantly, not buried in a backpack. Groups are choosing daylight starts and avoiding the periods around dawn and dusk when bears are more active. Hikers say these steps help them feel more in control, and they make a real difference in reducing surprise encounters on quiet trails.

What authorities are doing now

Officials are trying to blunt the risk while keeping access open where possible. The Ministry of the Environment has urged people planning to hike during this period to consult local government websites and on site advisories for recent bear activity at the mountain they intend to visit, and to change destinations or take other measures if sightings are frequent. The ministry also advises carrying bells or radios to make noise, taking bear spray, sticking to recommended routes and avoiding solo trips into the mountains.

In recent weeks, leaders at both national and prefectural levels moved beyond advisories. A high level meeting produced a plan to recruit and fund more licensed hunters and wildlife personnel to respond to bears that wander into towns and farmland. Officials are weighing rules that would allow police officers to use rifles against bears that pose an immediate threat in residential areas. Box traps baited with food are being placed in hot zones, and local governments have increased subsidies and training for new recruits to replace retired hunters.

Military support is being mobilized in at least one hard hit prefecture. The Defense Ministry is preparing to send Self Defense Forces personnel to help set traps and transport carcasses in Akita, where injuries have mounted and local responders are exhausted. Soldiers will not shoot bears under current law. The role is logistical and aimed at supporting overwhelmed local teams.

Japan’s defense minister framed the moment starkly during a recent news conference.

“Bears have been appearing in supermarkets, and there is a possibility that a bear may be in front of your house when you wake up in the morning. People are living in great fear.”

Akita’s governor appealed for outside help as incidents compounded the strain on local responders. In a social media post explaining the request for military support, he called for patience from residents while expanded measures take hold.

“The situation is no longer something the prefecture and municipalities can handle alone.”

These steps accompany a broader push to standardize reporting, improve coordination among police, wildlife offices and local governments, and educate residents about securing garbage and farm attractants. The ministry continues to stress that prevention at the human end of the problem remains the surest way to reduce dangerous encounters.

Safety advice that works on the trail

Encounters remain uncommon on a per hiker basis, yet preparation matters. The goal is to avoid startling a bear at close range and to know what to do if you see one. The core guidance below reflects the advice shared by Japanese authorities and field researchers.

• Check local advisories before you go. Municipal websites, park offices and visitor centers post recent sightings and closures.
• Travel in a group when possible. Bears are less likely to approach several people walking and talking together.
• Make steady noise on the move. A bell, a small radio or conversation signals your presence so you do not surprise a bear in dense cover.
• Avoid dawn and dusk. Bears are more active then. Plan routes that keep you on marked trails in full daylight.
• Carry bear spray where you can reach it quickly. Practice removing the safety tab before you set out. Know your wind direction if you need to use it.
• Manage food and smell. Pack food in sealed containers, do not leave trash or scraps, and never stash food in a tent.
• If you see a bear, do not run. Back away slowly while facing the animal without staring into its eyes. Keep your voice calm. Create distance.
• Make yourself appear larger if a bear approaches. Raise your arms or open your jacket. Prepare your spray. Use it if the bear keeps coming, aiming low to create a cloud between you and the animal.
• If contact occurs, tactics differ by species and situation. With brown bears in Hokkaido, covering vital areas and lying face down may reduce severe injury in a predatory or defensive mauling. With Asiatic black bears on Honshu, fighting back against a persistent attack can drive the animal away.
• Never approach a cub. Mothers defend young at all costs. If you see a cub, retreat the way you came without running and put a solid barrier between you and the area if possible.

Researchers who studied injuries in Akita found that victims who lay face down and protected their head and neck tended to suffer less serious harm in brown bear attacks. That outcome depends on context. The safest path is prevention: stay alert, keep noise steady in thick brush, read the landscape for fresh sign, and turn back when conditions feel wrong. Once you return to a trailhead, report any encounter or sign to local authorities so they can post timely alerts.

Tourism and local economies feel the strain

Autumn color drives one of Japan’s busiest outdoor tourism waves, supporting inns, restaurants and rural transportation. This year, more hikers are choosing low risk routes or staying home. University campuses and local schools have paused classes after on site sightings. Some mountain roads and trails have closed temporarily following reports of aggressive bear behavior. At airports and sports events, brief disruptions have turned into national stories, magnifying concern among casual visitors and families who rarely think about wildlife risk.

Local officials are trying to keep popular destinations open with added patrols, better signage and closer coordination between rangers, police and volunteer groups. Hikers who still want to enjoy the season can do so on well traveled routes, with bells, spray and daylight starts, and by checking advisories in advance. Decisions to postpone a specific route are often temporary. Once sightings drop and patrols confirm safe conditions, trails reopen quickly.

Balancing conservation and public safety

Japan’s response is not only an emergency question. It is an ongoing management challenge that blends ecology, rural policy and public safety. Bears are a protected wildlife resource, central to regional culture and ecosystems. They are also powerful animals that can injure or kill when they lose fear of humans or when people inadvertently condition them to human food. Thousands are culled every year near fields and towns, a practice that reduces risk in the short term but must be paired with steps that prevent new problems.

Experts point to work that pays dividends over time. Maintaining satoyama buffers, securing garbage and compost, fitting electric fencing around vulnerable farms and orchards, and restoring mast producing trees in key areas can reduce conflict. Training and supporting a new generation of wildlife personnel and licensed hunters is critical so that local leaders are not left without responders when incidents spike. Consistent communication, shared data and simple, clear guidance help residents and visitors make better choices.

Urban and suburban edges require special attention. Bears move along river corridors and greenbelts that thread through towns, emerging near schools or shopping streets when mast fails or when the first chills arrive and hibernation has not yet begun. Coordinated patrols, rapid alerts and basic prevention messages can keep these encounters from turning into emergencies. The goal is to respect the presence of wildlife while restoring a safe distance between animals and daily life.

What to Know

• Seventy seven percent of surveyed hikers feel anxious about bears this autumn, and 52.8 percent changed plans.
• At least 12 people have died in bear attacks since April, the highest toll on record for this period, and more than 100 have been injured.
• Hotspots include Hokkaido and the Tohoku region, with reports extending to the mountain districts of western Tokyo.
• A fatal attack on Mount Rausu in Hokkaido prompted trail closures, evacuations and a brown bear warning before patrols reopened routes.
• The government is recruiting more licensed hunters, deploying Self Defense Forces for logistical support in Akita, and expanding trapping in high risk areas.
• Authorities advise carrying bells or radios, checking local advisories, traveling in groups, avoiding dawn and dusk, and carrying bear spray.
• Two bear species live in Japan, Asiatic black bears across much of Honshu and Ussuri brown bears in Hokkaido.
• Climate change, poor acorn and beechnut harvests, rural depopulation and an aging hunter workforce are driving more encounters near towns.
• Tokyo’s official bear map logged more than 150 sightings by late August, mostly in the city’s western mountains.
• Securing food waste, maintaining satoyama buffers and restoring field capacity to respond can reduce future risk while keeping access to nature open.