Japan to Recruit Hunters as Bear Attacks Hit Record High

The Japanese government plans to hire licensed hunters to cull bears amid growing public fear over a record surge in bear attacks across the country.The environment ministry announced Thursday that it would allocate funds to recruit hunters and other personnel to deal with bears increasingly wandering into towns, attacking people, and breaking into shops and schools.The decision follows a high-level meeting to address Japan’s escalating bear problem, which has claimed 12 lives so far this year — the highest number since records began in the 2000s.Authorities said more than 100 people have been injured, including a foreign tourist attacked near a bus stop at a popular site. The situation is most severe in Akita prefecture in northern Japan, where the highest number of casualties has been reported.Officials said the government is also considering allowing police to use rifles to shoot bears. Japan’s self-defence forces have been deployed to assist Akita’s ...

• 01 Nov 2025