Japan Deploys Troops to Akita to Contain Surge in Bear Attacks

Japan deploys Self-Defense Forces to help curb rising bear incidents in Akita

Japan has deployed military personnel to Akita prefecture to assist local authorities in responding to a sharp increase in bear encounters that have injured and killed residents in the region. Reports of brown bear and Asiatic black bear sightings and attacks have become more frequent as hibernation approaches and animals forage for food, with incidents reported near schools, train stations, supermarkets and a hot-springs resort.

According to the Environment Ministry, more than 100 people nationwide have been injured and at least 12 killed in bear attacks since April. Local officials in Akita say the prefecture has recorded over 50 attacks since May, with at least four fatalities.

What the deployment involves

Under an agreement signed Wednesday between the Defense Ministry and Akita prefectural government, Self-Defense Forces personnel will assist by setting baited box traps, transporting local hunters, and helping to remove carcasses. Officials have emphasized that soldiers will not use firearms to cull bears. Instead, deployed teams are using non-lethal tools such as bear spray and net launchers, and wearing protective gear while working alongside civilian experts.

“Every day, bears intrude into residential areas in the region and their impact is expanding,” Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Fumitoshi Sato said, calling the response urgent.

The operation began in a forested area of Kazuno city, where multiple sightings and injuries have been reported. Soldiers set a food-baited trap near an orchard while local hunters assist with capture and disposal when necessary.

Orchard owner Takahiro Ikeda told NHK that bears have eaten more than 200 ripe apples from his property. “My heart is broken,” he said. Akita Governor Kenta Suzuki described local authorities as growing "desperate" due to manpower shortages.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stressed the mission aims to protect residents' daily lives but reiterated that the Self-Defense Forces' primary duty is national defense and their support cannot be unlimited given existing staffing shortfalls.

Drivers of the problem and planned measures

Experts attribute the rise in human-bear conflicts to demographic changes: aging and declining populations in rural areas mean fewer people skilled in traditional wildlife management and hunting. The central government estimates Japan's overall bear population at more than 54,000.

Abandoned neighborhoods and farmlands with persimmon or chestnut trees often attract bears, and animals will repeatedly return to reliable food sources. Specialists argue that selective culling, better monitoring and preventive measures are needed to reduce risks.

The government has formed a task force to propose a formal bear-response plan by mid-November. Possible measures under consideration include systematic population surveys, improved communication and warning systems for residents, revisions to hunting regulations, and training of police or other officials as state-authorized "government hunters." The Environment Ministry said a lack of preventive measures in northern regions has contributed to the increase in bear numbers and conflicts.

Note: AP video journalist Mayuko Ono contributed to reporting on this story.