The UK Foreign Office has issued a warning to British travellers in Japan following a record surge in bear attacks. Thirteen people have died this year, more than double the previous high, and over 100 have been injured, according to Japan's environment ministry. About 20,000 bear sightings were reported between April and September.
Experts attribute the increase to food shortages caused by poor acorn and beechnut crops, linked to the climate crisis, and the blurring of natural boundaries due to rural depopulation. Bears are venturing into residential areas, where they have developed a taste for persimmons and chestnuts.
In Akita prefecture, 60 attacks have been reported this year, four fatal. The governor has requested assistance from the Self-Defence Forces, with 15 soldiers deployed to set traps and transport hunters. Over two-thirds of attacks in Akita occurred in residential areas.
Survivors have shared grisly accounts. Billy Halloran, a New Zealander, was attacked while running in Myoko; a bear bit his arm, breaking it, and scratched his leg. Jeff Kingston, a professor, was mauled in Gunma prefecture but saved by his dogs.
Authorities advise hikers to carry bells, repellent spray, or empty plastic bottles, and to lie face down protecting the head and neck if attacked. Children have been urged to carry scrunchable plastic bottles to school, as the sound is said to deter bears.
