US issues unusual warning to Americans in Japan: beware of bear attacks

The US State Department is warning Americans in Japan to be alert as bear attacks and sightings increase in some parts of the country.

Americans should avoid areas where bears are sighted, especially if walking alone, and be aware of their surroundings, the State Department said Wednesday in a “wildlife alert.” Anyone who sees a bear should report it to local authorities.

Bears have killed at least 13 people in Japan since April, more than double the five people killed in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, News reported. is he largest number of people killed by bears in Japan since the country began keeping such records in 2006. More than 100 more people have been injured since April, according to Environment Ministry statistics from late October.

Most of the attacks have occurred in northern Japan. In its alert, the State Department called out Hokkaido and Akita prefectures, as well as the city of Sapporo, where officials closed a park next to the U.S. Consulate General after a bear was spotted there.

Troops were recently deployed to Akita to contain the animals there. Some police officers have been authorized to shoot the animals, News reported.

U.S. citizens should register for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which makes it easier to receive security messages from the State Department and make it easier to locate Americans in the event of an emergency, the State Department said.

The State Department periodically publishes warnings and all countries in the world have been given a warning. designated travel notice. Japan’s travel warning level remains at 1, meaning travelers should “take normal precautions.” But it’s rare for U.S. officials to warn about wildlife in a foreign country. The State Department did not immediately respond to a question about how many such warnings had been issued.

Bears have been seen near schools, supermarkets and even near the Iwate Hanamaki airport. Experts say the country aging and decline of the rural population has contributed to the problem. As Japan’s population declines, humans leave rural areas and bears move in.

“Then that area recovered into forest, so the bears have the opportunity to expand their range,” explained biologist Koji Yamazaki of the Tokyo University of Agriculture. told News themezone‘Elizabeth Palmer in 2023.

Older local hunters are also unaccustomed to bear hunting and few preventative measures have been taken in recent years. Climate change has also affected the bears’ hibernation schedules and the affected foods the animals depend on.

Japan has two types of bears: the Asian black bears found throughout the country’s mainland, also known as moon bears, and the larger brown bears that live on the main northern island of Hokkaido. Grizzly bears can weigh more than 1,100 pounds and run faster than humans. Asiatic black bears are climbers and are smaller, weighing about 440 pounds at most, according to the International Bear Research and Management Association. Thousands of bears are slaughtered in Japan every year.