A sobering reminder to Americans: Watch out for bear attacks in Japan

In a wildlife advisory, the U.S. Embassy stated that “bear assaults and sightings have increased in portions of Japan, notably in municipalities near to or adjacent to populated zones.”

Following a record number of attacks in recent months, the U.S. Embassy has issued a grizzly warning to Americans residing in Japan: beware the bears.

According to the wildlife advisory, “bear attacks and sightings have increased in regions of Japan, notably in municipalities close to or adjacent to populated zones,” and Americans should “be mindful of your surroundings.”

It further stated that they should “report sightings to local authorities” in Japan, where attacks have killed at least 13 people, the most in over a decade, and attacked almost 100 people since April, according to the nation’s environment ministry.

Mostly in the hilly north, the attacks have happened close to populous places, including schools, bus stops, supermarkets, and even a hot springs resort.

The U.S. Consulate General is located next to Maruyama Park in the northern city of Sapporo, which was closed for two weeks on Tuesday after a brown bear was repeatedly spotted there, the embassy said.

The runway at the Iwate Hanamaki Airport in the northeastern Japanese city of Hanamaki was also briefly closed down after bear was spotted there, the airport announced on X.

The military intervened earlier this month at the request of local officials in Japan’s northern Akita prefecture, who were finding it difficult to handle the situation.

Soldiers from the nation’s Self Defense Force, equipped with bear spray and shields, will assist in carrying and setting steel-barred box traps to catch the bears, transfer them to local hunters who will shoot them, and assist in disposing of the remains.

At the time, military commander Yasunori Matsunaga stated, “We acknowledge that the harm inflicted by bears is in a severe condition.”

As more people move from rural to urban regions, bears have more habitat, according to experts, which is why the bear population is increasing. The impact of climate change on hibernation patterns and the availability of food has also been mentioned.

The Asiatic black bear and the Hokkaido brown bear are the two primary bear species found in Japan.

The United States rarely sends out animal advisories in other countries. On a four-point scale, Japan now has the least dangerous Level 1 travel alert, which advises visitors to “take usual care.”