Japan deploys troops to tackle bear attacks

Japan has deployed Self‑Defense Forces personnel to assist with trapping bears in the mountainous north as a sharp rise in attacks has overwhelmed local authorities. The operation is focused on Kazuno in Akita Prefecture, where residents have been advised to avoid nearby forests, stay indoors after dark and carry bells to deter bears. Authorities say more than 100 people have been injured and a record 12 killed nationwide since April, with roughly two‑thirds of fatalities concentrated in Akita and neighbouring Iwate.

Soldiers are transporting, setting and inspecting box traps in remote areas, moving licensed hunters to sites and helping dispose of carcasses; they are not authorised to use firearms, and trained hunters retain responsibility for culling. Akita officials report bear sightings have surged to over 8,000 this year — about six times the level recorded in the same period last year. Officials attribute the spike to a combination of an expanding bear population, food shortages in wild habitats, climate‑driven shifts in foraging behaviour and rural depopulation that has reduced local capacity to manage wildlife.

Residents have reported bears entering towns, train stations, supermarkets and even hot‑spring resorts, prompting some school closures and event cancellations. Local leaders say municipal resources have been overwhelmed and have appealed for national support. In response, the government has announced plans to recruit more licensed hunters, ease certain firearm regulations for bear‑control operations and provide additional funding to bolster rural teams tasked with responding to incidents.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Fumitoshi Sato said bears are intruding into residential areas daily and their impact is expanding, while Akita Governor Kenta Suzuki described the situation as “tru­ly dire.” The military deployment underscores the urgency and scale of the wildlife conflict, which now poses a serious public‑safety threat in parts of rural Japan. Authorities say the intensified measures aim to protect communities and curb further incidents as officials work to balance immediate public safety needs with longer‑term wildlife management and habitat concerns.