Bear Attacks a Growing Problem in Northern Japan

Bear sightings are becoming more frequent in northern Japan, and the animals' encroachment on human territory is having deadly consequences.

Transcript

00:00In 2023, pastry chef Minnetoyo Keiji was attacked by a bear outside his garage.

00:09The bear knocked me down like this, and I fell on my side. Then it came at my face here,

00:15so I blocked it like this with my hands. Minnetoyo was one of the lucky ones.

00:20He managed to survive. But for over a dozen people this year, that has not been the case.

00:26Now, the 68-year-old is calling for more extreme measures.

00:32If people are thinking of them like pets, of course the idea of animal protection is important.

00:38But the reality is that people are being attacked. And there are already several who have died.

00:44So I think at the very least, when bears come into town, they should be called.

00:48Bear attacks are becoming more prevalent in this part of Japan.

00:52In mid-October, a nursery school had a close encounter with a bear, while 40 children were inside.

01:03Sato Junko, one of the school's employees, recalls the harrowing encounter.

01:10It looked like it was banging on the door, so I felt a real sense of danger.

01:15Bears have started venturing into areas where people live,

01:18a problem that's been growing since 2023. Normally they stay in the mountains,

01:24but stronger bears are pushing weaker ones out, forcing them into human territory.

01:29There, they breed near villages and are used to human activity. Once shy and timid,

01:35these bears are now more aggressive, and are more likely to attack people.

01:39The situation is so serious that Japan has deployed soldiers to keep them under control.

01:44The situation is so serious that Japan has been under control.

01:48Stores now have dedicated sections for bear protection equipment. Everything from shields

01:53to bear spray is on sale here. Locals say bear sightings are happening almost every day now,

02:00and the problem is getting worse. In this part of Japan, humans live alongside nature. But what once was

02:07peaceful harmony is slowly becoming a hostile imbalance. Ryan Wu and Leslie Liao for Taiwan Plus.