Japan Bear Attacks On The Rise - What's Causing It? Extreme Weather, Declining Human Population Seen As Culprit

Japan is facing a sharp rise in bear attacks, with incidents spreading beyond mountain forests into rural towns and even the fringes of cities. The surge has unsettled communities across northern Honshu, where encounters once considered rare are becoming increasingly common.

Experts say the trend reflects a mix of climate disruption, habitat change and population decline. Bears are travelling further in search of food as forests yield fewer nuts, while fewer people remain in rural areas to deter them. Local officials warn that without coordinated action, human–bear conflicts could become an enduring feature of Japan's landscape.

The government has begun tightening wildlife control measures and expanding education campaigns to help residents avoid encounters. However, the rise in attacks underscores a deeper challenge on how to balance conservation, safety and rural sustainability in a rapidly changing environment.

Rising Incidents and Growing Risk

In the year to March 2024, Japan recorded 219 serious bear–human encounters, including six deaths, according to The Guardian. Between April and October 2025, prefectures in northern Honshu, particularly Akita, Iwate, Aomori and Fukushima, reported unusually high numbers of attacks.

In Akita, elderly residents have been disproportionately among the victims. Bears have been spotted in residential areas, trampling crops, rummaging through bins and wandering near car parks or busy roads, reports The Strait Times. Officials say these incursions are no longer isolated but part of a broader shift linked to environmental and social pressures.

Climate, Habitat and Human Change

Failed mast harvests, particularly beech nuts in the Tohoku region, are one of the clearest drivers of the trend. Surveys this year classified many areas as 'non-fruiting', leaving bears without key autumn food sources, according to Mainichi. When natural food is scarce, bears have been observed delaying or altering hibernation and venturing closer to settlements. Scientists say climate variability and changes to forest health are disrupting these long-established nut cycles.

Rural depopulation has compounded the problem. As Japan's countryside ages and shrinks, farmland and buffer zones between forests and villages are being neglected, allowing wooded areas to expand closer to human habitation, Kyodo News reports. With hunting populations declining and firearm restrictions remaining tight, fewer deterrents exist to keep bears at bay.

Food scarcity linked to environmental pressures is also driving bears into lower elevations and agricultural zones. While scavenging has not been confirmed in every area, wildlife monitors report that bears are increasingly foraging around human settlements during poor nut years.

Government Response and Mitigation Efforts

Local authorities are strengthening legal powers and safety protocols. Japan's revised wildlife protection law, enacted in 2025, permits municipalities to authorise 'emergency shootings' of dangerous wildlife that enter residential zones, according to The Japan Times.

Public education campaigns are being expanded to reduce risk. Residents are urged to secure food waste, avoid overgrown vegetation near homes, carry bells or make noise when walking in dense undergrowth, and check local bear-sighting alerts. Officials are also reviewing land-use policies to maintain clear zones between forest and settlement and to restore abandoned farmland as a deterrent buffer.

As Japan adjusts to this new reality, the increase in attacks highlights how environmental disruption, population decline and changing land use are reshaping rural life. The challenge now lies in managing coexistence and protecting communities while preserving the balance between people and nature that has long defined Japan's landscapes.