Japan plans cull of up to 10,000 bears as attacks surge and schools shut

Japan confirmed its first fatal bear attack of 2026 on April 21, when a 55‑year‑old woman was found dead in Iwate prefecture. The incident follows a sharp rise in human‑bear encounters, with 13 deaths recorded in 2025 – the highest number ever reported by Japanese authorities. Bears have increasingly entered populated areas, including supermarkets, schools, resorts and even airport runways.

In response, the Japanese government approved a five‑year plan to kill up to 10,000 bears during the 2026 fiscal year. The plan comes as the brown‑bear population has doubled to about 12,000 and Asian black bears have reached 42,000, creating overcrowding in forested regions that cover roughly 80 % of the country. Scientists link the surge to climate‑driven changes in food availability and rural depopulation, which give bears more incentive to seek food in villages. Biologist Koji Yamazaki noted, “The decrease in population gave bears an opportunity to expand their territory.”

Authorities have already intensified hunting, with more than 14,000 bears shot between April 2025 and March 2026 – nearly three times the previous period. As sightings mount, 11 schools were closed in late March, and patrols by hunters have been deployed to areas of recent attacks.