According to a report by the Japan Co., the Environment Ministry of Japan announced on the 17th that in order to prevent bears from appearing in human areas, a 'Urban Bear Prevention Task Force' has been established. The task force consists of 20 members, including 'Bear Prevention Specialists' from local environmental bureaus. The first meeting of the task force will be held on the 22nd.
According to the Environment Ministry, there have been increasing reports of bears appearing in the downtown area of Udobuji in June. The team will share case studies on safety measures with local governments and will also cooperate with them to monitor the bears that appear in the area.
Due to the increase in casualties, many products such as bear repellent sprays are available on the market to prevent encounters with bears. Therefore, the effectiveness of these products will be tested and relevant information will be released. In addition, new technologies for preventing bears from appearing and for searching will also be reviewed.
Environmentally speaking, the original was high in its grandeur at the cabinet meeting after a press conference on the 17th. Secretary said: "I want to strengthen measures for dealing with unexpected events, and restore the security of national citizens’ lives."
Since last year, bear disasters have been rampant in Japan, with several fatal incidents occurring. As of 2025, 13 people have died from bear attacks, and by 2026, 4 people have been killed by bears.
According to statistics from the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, a total of 216 people in Japan were injured by bears, which is significantly higher than the 3 deaths and 82 injuries reported in the year 2024.
