00:03Tochigi Prefecture in central Japan and an emergency task force responds to a wild bear at a school.
00:10It's a very real threat in this mountainous part of the country.
00:13But in this case, the bear is fake.
00:16A local government staffer in disguise.
00:19I couldn't see a thing and it was hot.
00:21A week ago, life in the nearby city of Utsunumaya ground to a halt for several days,
00:26closing schools and a university campus amid reports that a bear was running ruckus in the streets.
00:32The bear was later captured, but fears of similar incursions remain, prompting these drills.
00:41There really have been more bears around recently, so this kind of training is necessary.
00:45I think it would be much quicker if we worked in collaboration with the police,
00:49the forestry department, and the local authorities like the town hall.
00:52So I think exercises like this help identify problems and improve that coordination.
00:58Using a drone, charts, and maps, local police, accredited hunters, and government officials
01:02worked together to take down the rogue bear, portrayed by the masked local official.
01:10Yes, I think actually running simulations and putting them into practice is very relevant to real-world situations.
01:17Japan has seen a spike in dangerous human encounters with bears.
01:20The environment ministry reported a record 238 casualties in 2025, including 13 deaths.
01:27In response, the government has set up an emergency task force,
01:31and many communities, like Tochigi, are determined to be ready.
01:37Last year, an emergency hunting system was introduced,
01:41which allows bears to be captured using firearms when they appear in urban areas.
01:46However, in order to carry this task out, as well as the evacuation of local residents and safety management,
01:54various preparation measures are needed, and they all require practice.
02:00Tochigi's emergency drill addresses a growing threat.
02:03Bear populations have risen in the increasingly depopulated rural corners of Japan.
02:07In addition, unusual weather patterns, linked to climate change, are affecting their food supply.
02:14As a result, hungry bears are creeping into populated areas.
02:17In early June, one bear injured four people in the city of Fukushima, tackling one person to the ground.
02:23Local people are increasingly aware of the need to be on guard against ursine intruders,
02:28and they're no longer willing to grin and bear it.
02:31Patrick Chen and Brint Hamitz for Taiwan Plus.
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