Bear hunt continues as Japanese city shuts schools for second day
World 15:09 09/06/2026UTSUNOMIYA, JAPAN -- The hunt for a black bear spotted more than a dozen times in the Japanese city of Utsunomiya continued on Tuesday as all 94 municipal primary and middle schools were closed for a second straight day.
Bears emerge as serious safety threat: Japan white paper
World 17:10 05/06/2026TOKYO -- Bears have become a "serious threat to public safety and peace" in Japan, with bear incidents and casualties reaching unprecedented levels in fiscal 2025, the government said in an annual report released Friday.
Bear sightings hamper school activities in Japan
World 17:04 26/05/2026TOKYO -- Bear sightings have led to temporary closures and restricted outdoor activities at schools in Japan, with local education boards struggling over how to continue offering classes while ensuring safety of students.
Japan to survey bear habitats in Tohoku, Niigata
World 17:04 20/05/2026TOKYO -- Japan's Environment Ministry has said it will start surveys in late June on bear habitats and populations in the Tohoku northeastern region and some areas in nearby Niigata Prefecture.
Japan 'robot wolves' in high demand to scare off bears
World 17:01 14/05/2026TOKYO -- A Japanese company making ferocious-looking robot wolves is being swamped by orders after record numbers of fatal bear attacks on humans last year.
Black bear sightings in Japan surge 2.5-fold in FY 2025
World 16:34 12/05/2026TOKYO -- The number of Asian black bear sightings in Japan in fiscal 2025 came to 50,776, marking the highest figure since comparable data became available in fiscal 2009, provisional data from the Environment Ministry showed Monday.
Study to analyze impact of bear appearances on elderly people
World 16:52 10/04/2026AKITA -- A study is planned to analyze the impact of bear appearances on the daily lives and mental health of elderly residents in Akita Prefecture, which had the largest number of bear attack victims in Japan in fiscal 2025.
Bears scaring off school, other events in Japan
World 17:20 05/11/2025TOKYO -- Amid a recent spate of bear attacks on people, a variety of outdoor events, including school marathons, have been canceled across Japan since October because of reported sightings of the animal in the vicinity.
Tokushima firm develops bear repellent spray
World 16:41 04/11/2025Anan, Tokushima Pref. -- As the number of fatalities from bear attacks in Japan rises to a record high this fiscal year, a company, based in Anan, Tokushima Prefecture, western Japan, has developed a bear repellent spray in the hope of allowing humans and bears to coexist.
SDF to help Akita prefecture prevent bear attacks
World 17:16 28/10/2025TOKYO -- Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tuesday that his ministry would send Self-Defense Forces personnel to Akita Prefecture within the day to discuss measures to prevent bear attacks.
Japan city of Sendai shoots bear under revised law
World 18:36 16/10/2025Sendai, Miyagi Pref. -- The northeastern Japanese city of Sendai has shot dead a bear under a revised law that allows municipal governments to decide whether to shoot the animals in urban areas.
Bear attacks claim record 7 lives in Japan so far in FY 2025
World 16:57 15/10/2025TOKYO -- Japan has recorded seven bear-related deaths so far in fiscal 2025, which started in April, the highest since records began in fiscal 2006, the Environment Ministry said on Wednesday, with most attacks occurring in northeastern regions and the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.
