Japan Deploys Troops to Akita Prefecture Amidst Surge in bear Attacks
AKITA, JAPAN - November 15, 2023 – Japan has dispatched military personnel to the northern prefecture of Akita to assist local authorities in responding to a dramatic increase in bear attacks that have left residents fearing for their safety. The unprecedented move comes as reports of encounters with both brown bears and Asiatic black bears continue to rise ahead of the winter hibernation season.
According to Ministry of the Habitat statistics released at the end of October, at least 12 people have been killed and over 100 injured by bear attacks across Japan in the last seven months. The attacks are increasingly occurring in populated areas, including near schools, train stations, supermarkets, and even hot springs resorts.
The deployment, which began Wednesday in the forested area of Kazuno city – a hotspot for sightings and injuries – will see soldiers focusing on non-lethal mitigation efforts. Under an agreement between the Ministry of Defense and Akita prefecture, troops will set box traps baited with food, assist local hunters in their efforts, and help with the disposal of deceased bears.
“every day, bears intrude into residential areas in the region and their impact is expanding,” Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Fumitoshi Sato told reporters. “responses to the bear problem are an urgent matter.”
The growing bear population – estimated at over 54,000 nationwide – is encroaching on areas experiencing a rapidly aging and declining human population, leading to a shortage of trained hunters.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi emphasized that while the mission aims to protect citizens, the military’s primary focus remains national defense and support will not be unlimited.
In Akita prefecture, which has a population of approximately 880,000, bears have attacked more than 50 people as May, resulting in at least four fatalities, according to local government data. Recent incidents include the death of an elderly woman mushroom hunting in Yuzawa city over the weekend, and the fatal attack on another elderly woman in Akita city while working on a farm in late October. A newspaper deliveryman was also injured in an attack in Akita city on Tuesday.
Orchard operator Takahiro Ikeda told NHK television that bears have already destroyed over 200 of his apples, ready for harvest, stating, “My heart is broken.”
Experts attribute the escalating problem to Japan’s demographic shifts in rural areas, suggesting that bear populations are not endangered and require controlled culling to maintain a sustainable balance.
