The selection of 'bear' as Japan's kanji character of the year came as no surprise to the residents of Osaki. This northeastern town, famed for its hot springs and traditional dolls, has found itself at the epicentre of a national crisis: a record-breaking year of dangerous encounters with bears venturing into human settlements.
A Town Living in Fear
Osaki, with a population of 128,000, has reported a staggering 400 bear sightings so far this year, a dramatic increase from fewer than 100 in 2024. The consequences have been severe. In one harrowing incident, a woman in her 70s suffered serious facial injuries after being attacked outside her home. In another, residents watched helplessly as a bear seized their dog and ran off.
"This year has been particularly bad," confirms Kazuhide Otomo, an official in the town's rural environment development division. "It's the biggest topic of conversation." The local tourism industry is suffering, with visitor numbers down and cancellations at traditional ryokan inns, despite hikers arming themselves with bells and repellent spray.
National Crisis with Fatal Consequences
The problem extends far beyond Osaki. Across Japan, a record 13 people died in suspected bear maulings between April and November, according to the environment ministry, with 197 attacks recorded—another historic high. Northern prefectures are experiencing an unprecedented wave of incidents, even into the winter months when bears should be hibernating.
Experts point to a perfect storm of causes. A poor harvest of acorns and beechnuts in the bears' natural habitat has left them hungry and desperate, pushing them into residential areas in search of food. Compounding this is a growing bear population, with estimates of Asian black bears soaring from 15,000 in 2012 to around 44,000 today. Furthermore, the natural satoyama borders that once separated forests from villages are disappearing, and there is a critical shortage of experienced hunters.
Desperate Measures and a Search for Balance
In response to the escalating threat, authorities in Osaki have declared a state of emergency, advising residents to avoid going out early in the morning or late at night and to strip trees of tempting fruit like persimmons. The governor of hard-hit Akita prefecture took the unprecedented step of calling in the Self-Defence Forces to help trap bears, after four deaths and 62 injuries. The prefecture has culled more than 2,000 bears this year.
"We've been criticised for our decision to cull a large number of bears, but we're not doing this because we want to," said Governor Kenta Suzuki. "It's unavoidable due to the damage they are causing in urban areas."
Wildlife experts warn that the bears are losing their fear of humans. "Bears are clever animals," Otomo explains. "If they find something good to eat... they remember and keep going back for more." Associate Professor Maki Yamamoto stresses that wildlife management must now be treated as a national policy issue, not just a remote mountain community problem.
While residents hope for relief in 2026 if the natural food cycle improves, they also fear a return of the crisis the following year. The ultimate challenge, as Otomo states, is "striking a balance between protecting residents and preserving bears' natural habitats." For now, the uneasy coexistence continues, with a town's character defined not by its culture, but by the wild animals at its doorstep.
