Japan to help hotels put up protective fences around open-air baths amid deadly bear attacks
Japan’s public areas to have fences installed to protect against bears
- Japan is experiencing a record surge in bear attacks, with 13 people killed and over 100 injured since April, predominantly in northern prefectures such as Akita and Iwate.
- The increase in encounters is attributed to a growing bear population, dwindling natural food supplies, climate change, and a decline in the number of hunters.
- Authorities are implementing various countermeasures, including the deployment of Self-Defence Forces to assist with traps and culling, while residents carry bells to deter bears.
- The Japan Tourism Agency plans to subsidise protective fences for open-air baths at hot spring resorts to safeguard visitors, following increased bear sightings near tourist areas.
- Despite the reinstatement of bear population control measures, efforts are hampered by a shortage of hunters, though over 9,000 bears were culled in 2023-24 and more than 4,200 this year.