Japan’s Bear Problem is Getting Serious | What Travelers Must Know

Normally, I’m here to share all the good travel spots in Japan, but today, I need to talk about a very important safety issue that everyone planning a trip here needs to know: The bear situation in Japan is getting intense.

Especially this autumn 2025, things are getting rough. Why? Bears are preparing for their long hibernation, which means they are hungry and actively seeking food. They are coming down from the mountains into areas where people live, which is why we’re seeing a spike in incidents.

You can hear this on the video platform. (Japan’s Bear Issue is Getting Serious | What Travelers Need to Know)

Fatalities are Happening Across Japan

I haven’t seen bears in wild. The only place I have seen is in the zoo. It’s something very unusual existence to meet in the mountian. For a long time, the Japanese mindset was that “bears avoid humans” and if we encounter “pretend dead”. I have been believing so too, but it might be a time to change that.

Tragically, there have been multiple fatal bear attacks across the country this year. Here are a few shocking examples:

In a Town: A newspaper delivery person in a small town near Hakodate, Hokkaido, was attacked and killed. This was not deep in the wilderness—it was a town incident.
In a World Heritage Site: On Mount Rausu in Shiretoko National Park (a World Heritage Site in Hokkaido), a young traveler from Tokyo was killed. This had never happened there before, which shows how much the situation is escalating.
Near Hot Springs: In Iwate Prefecture, a former athlete who was cleaning an outdoor bath at a traditional ryokan (inn) was attacked. Many of us go to these beautiful onsen (hot springs) in the mountains, so this is a truly scary development.

And recently, international travelers have also been affected. A traveler was lightly injured after an attack near the famous sightseeing spot Shirakawa-go in Takayama, and another person was attacked in Myoko in Niigata.

Why are Japan’s Bears Becoming Fearless?

There are a few factors behind this major problem, but the scariest part is the potential change in bear behavior:

Increasing Numbers and Lack of Food are pushing them down into human-inhabited areas.
Most importantly, these recent bears are not afraid of humans. They are getting more aggressive and brutal.
Bears mainly eat nuts and plants, but now they are reported to be attacking deer and even cows on farms, which is highly unusual and shows a new level of aggression.

When you meet a bear, it’s almost impossible to fight back or escape, even if you are a very strong person. That’s why avoiding them is the single most important thing you can do.

What You Can Do to Minimize the Risk

Protect Yourself

The most effective way to stay safe is not to meet a bear at all.
If you plan to hike, camp, or drive through rural or mountain areas, always check the latest local bear sighting information.
Many prefectures and municipalities in Japan share this data through official websites or even real-time “bear alert” maps.

Bear Bell and Bear Spray — Do They Work?

Bear bells can help in some areas, but they are not a guarantee of safety.
In regions where bears have become used to human sounds, bells might not work effectively.
Bear spray can stop an aggressive bear at close range, but it must be carried properly and used only when the bear is within several meters, which is very risky.

Practical Precautions

Avoid hiking alone or in the early morning / late evening when bears are most active.
Make noise while walking — talk, clap, or use a small radio instead of relying only on a bell.
Never leave food waste or plastic bottles in mountain or picnic areas.
Pay attentoin to local warning signs — if an area is temporarily closed, don’t enter “just for a quick look.”

Bear map links:

🐻Bear Map in Tokyo: https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiMTI3ZWMwMzktODJkZS00NzMxLWI0MTctOTVlODBhMjEzMGY0IiwidCI6ImQwMzAyZmNjLTNlODEtNDljMy04MjM1LWQzMTFhMzY4NGNmYyJ9

🐻in Hokkaido (Higumap) : https://higumap.info/recent

🐻in Akita (Kumadas) : https://kumadas.net/

🐻in Aomori: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=13Nbo8EFxhx50lQsl4SptQctrnNU&usp=sharing

🐻 in Saitama:https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/6851a59c5a76496e9c9e3b54b2e67ff9

🐻 in Yamaguchi: https://yamaguchi-opendata.jp/dashboard?org=35000&res=9565b85b-f459-4c0e-912d-e30578822e09

* Not all prefectures have bear maps and many of them are only in Japanese.

Please keep safety first while enjoying your trip to Japan. I truly hope this situation gets better so all travelers can explore without worry.

【Articles Referenced (from original video description)】

Watch the YouTube Video Here Japan’s Bear Issue is Getting Serious | What Travelers Need to Know