Tokyo: Japan has deployed troops to the northern prefecture of Akita to help deal with a surge in bear attacks that has left communities frightened and grieving. In recent months, bears have been spotted in towns, near schools, and even outside train stations, as they search for food before hibernation.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, at least 12 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in bear attacks across Japan since April. Most cases have been reported in Akita, a mountainous region where the human population is ageing and declining, leaving fewer hunters to control the growing bear population.
Under an agreement signed between the Defense Ministry and Akita prefecture, soldiers will assist local authorities by setting traps, helping transport hunters, and disposing of dead bears. Officials said troops would not open fire on the animals.
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Fumitoshi Sato said the situation has become urgent, with bears entering residential areas almost daily. The operation began in Kazuno city, where soldiers in protective gear set up box traps near an apple orchard that had already suffered heavy losses to bear raids.
Local farmer Takahiro Ikeda said bears had eaten more than 200 apples ready for harvest, leaving him heartbroken. “They were almost ready to pick,” he told NHK television. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the mission aims to protect people’s daily lives, though he noted that the Self-Defense Forces’ main duty remains national defense.
In Akita alone, more than 50 people have been attacked since May, four of them fatally. Many victims were elderly residents gathering mushrooms or working in fields. In one recent case, a newspaper delivery worker was mauled while on his route in Akita city.
Japan’s government estimates the bear population has risen to more than 54,000 nationwide. Experts warn that without population control, encounters between humans and bears will continue to increase.
As winter nears, authorities hope to trap or drive the animals back into the mountains before hibernation begins. For now, residents have been urged to stay alert and avoid venturing into forested areas alone.
