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August 12, 2026
 

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BEARS

At the Akita Kanto Festival held in the city of Akita this week, city officials with bear repellent sprays are patrolling the area around the festival venue.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 5, 2026
Organizers of summer festivals in Tohoku strengthen measures against bears
While protocols vary across prefectures, several organizers say events may be canceled if a bear is spotted within a certain distance of the festival venue.
Bears have killed at least five people in Japan since April 1, all in Tohoku, after a record 13 fatal attacks across the country in the last fiscal year, according to the environment ministry.
JAPAN
Jul 15, 2026
Japan family finds bear in kitchen, calls police
Bears have killed at least five people in Japan since April 1, all in the Tohoku region.
Japanese summer travel budgets increased for the first time in three years to an average of ?58,902 ($363) this year, according to a recent survey.
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2026
Â鶹´«Ã½ summer vacation budgets rise for first time in three years
An online survey conducted in June found that higher prices and a weak yen were the main reasons among respondents for increasing their budgets.
Hikers wait for a bus at a train station in Okutama on the outskirts of Tokyo on June 14 as local authorities urge visitors to take precautions following increased reports of bear sightings in the region.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 8, 2026
Tokyo considers lifting ban on bear hunting for the first time in nearly 20 years
With the move to permit culling in the capital, authorities are hoping to put pressure on the wild animal and avert human-bear conflicts.
Hunters and a police officer approach a man wearing a bear costume during a drill for a bear intrusion in Yaita, Tochigi Prefecture, last month.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Jul 2, 2026
Japan deploys bear cameras in mountains as attacks surge
Bears have killed at least five people since April 1, all in the northern region of Tohoku.
A sign showing bear deterrent measures is displayed next to a wolf-shaped robotic device outside a convenience store in a rural area of Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2026
Bear spray goes off in Japan post office, leaving five hospitalized
At least five people have been killed by bears in Japan since April 1 after a record 13 deaths last fiscal year.
Authorities in Aomori Prefecture said on Monday that a man found dead on a mountain that day may have been attacked by a bear.
JAPAN
Jun 30, 2026
Police investigate suspected fatal bear attack in Aomori Prefecture
Authorities said that a man found dead on a mountain may have been attacked by a bear.
A bear warning sign is displayed at the site near where a Spanish visitor was attacked by a cub last October in Shirakawa village, Gifu Prefecture.
JAPAN
Jun 24, 2026
Schools in Tokyo suburb to get bear sprays
Japan saw a record 13 people killed by bears last fiscal year, and five more fatalities and 20 people injured between April 1 and May 30 this year.
Bears killed 18 people and seriously injured more than 200 in Romania and Slovakia over the past five years.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Jun 23, 2026
EU nations want reduced protection for bears
Bears killed 18 people and seriously injured more than 200 in the two countries over the past five years.
Hikers walk past a bear warning sign in the Okutama area in western Tokyo on Sunday as local authorities urge visitors to take precautions following increased reports of bear sightings in the region.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jun 16, 2026
Why more bears are entering urban areas
Five deaths have already been reported this year as of the beginning of June, with bears showing a growing willingness to roam closer to where people live.
Last year, the number of bear-related deaths in Japan hit a record high of 13. Bear sightings also set a new record.
JAPAN
Jun 9, 2026
Dayslong bear hunt in Tochigi Prefecture capital ends with animal¡¯s capture
The city of Utsunomiya had been on high alert following reports of a bear sighting near schools and residential areas since the weekend.
When bells aren¡¯t enough to prevent encounters with bears, outdoorspeople in Japan now have a wide range of deterrents to choose from.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 6, 2026
In Japan, a bull market for bear deterrents
With no end in sight to the rise in bear encounters, manufacturers are bringing new kinds of deterrents to the market.
The 2026 environment white paper underscores the importance of nurturing fresh hunters with advanced knowledge and skills as existing hunters are getting much older.
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2026
Bears emerge as serious safety threat in Japan, says white paper
The white paper underscores the importance of nurturing fresh hunters with advanced knowledge and skills as existing hunters are getting much older.
Officials of the Environment Ministry and prefectural governments in northeastern Japan hold a meeting in Sendai on Wednesday to discuss measures to cope with bears. In neighboring Fukushima Prefecture, authorities are on the hunt for an "extremely intelligent" bear that remains at large.
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2026
¡®Extremely intelligent¡¯ bear at large after hurting four in Fukushima
The bear apparently unlatched a window while evading capture and turned on a water tap to drink from.
A record 13 people were killed by bears in Japan last year, and there has been a jump in bear sightings as the animals emerge hungry from hibernation.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 2026
Bear goes on rampage in Japan, injuring four people
A record 13 people were killed by bears in Japan last year, and there has been a jump in sightings as the animals emerge hungry from hibernation.
A captured bear in Kuroishi, Aomori Prefecture, earlier this month
JAPAN
May 28, 2026
Bear sightings hamper school activities in Japan
The sightings have led to evacuations, delays and some children opting to stay home as boards of education grapple with how to safely continue classes.
The Environment Ministry aims to gain a better understanding of bear behavior in wide areas, as bears often roam across prefectural borders.
JAPAN
May 20, 2026
Japan to survey bear habitats in Niigata and Tohoku region
The government surveys aim to gain a better understanding of bear behavior in wide areas, as bears often roam across prefectural borders.
The Metropolitan Police Department discovered the lower half of a human body on Tuesday, approximately 100 meters off a hiking trail in Nippara, in the town of Okutama, located on the outskirts of western Tokyo.
JAPAN
May 20, 2026
Possible fatal bear attack reported in mountains of western Tokyo
If confirmed, the incident in the mountains of Okutama would mark Tokyo¡¯s first recorded fatal bear attack since at least 2006.
Monster Wolf, a wolf-like robot, next to a rice field in Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture, in August 2017.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
May 13, 2026
¡®Robot wolves¡¯ in high demand to scare off bears in Japan
Monster Wolf is an animatronic scarecrow with flashing red eyes that howls and growls menacingly to scare away wild animals.
Asian black bear sightings reached an all-time high of 50,776 in fiscal 2025, the environment ministry announced Monday.
JAPAN / Society
May 12, 2026
Black bear sightings in Japan more than doubled in 2025
The total number of deaths caused by bear attacks in fiscal 2025 was 13, the highest in recorded history.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Strong wind and heavy rain forecast as tropical storm approaches Japan
Tropical Storm Chan-hom is expected to make landfall in northern Kanto between late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
Where do foreign residents in Japan want to die?
The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery is one of the few cemeteries in Japan that allows burials, albeit with conditions for the deceased, including foreign nationality and permanent residency in Kanagawa Prefecture.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix
People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
J. League enters new era as league kicks off first fall-spring campaign
Players from each J. League club pose during a kickoff event on Monday ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

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