TOKYO: Japan has relaxed its strict firearm regulations to permit hunters greater use of rifles in built-up areas following a significant increase in bear attacks.
Authorities have observed more wild bears entering residential zones due to factors including human population decline and climate change impacts.
Four people have died from bear attacks since April this year, with the most recent fatality involving a hiker in Hokkaido during August.
Dozens more individuals have sustained injuries from bear encounters across the country throughout this period.
A woman was left unconscious after a bear attacked her outside a disabilities facility on the outskirts of Kitaakita city in July.
Golfers at a tournament were forced to abandon their course during the same month following a confirmed bear sighting on the premises.
A bear was spotted roaming across a regional airport runway in June, highlighting the increasing frequency of urban wildlife encounters.
Japan maintains notoriously strict arms control policies that traditionally required police approval for all hunting rifle usage.
Municipal officials can now authorise hunters to use rifles during emergency situations after ensuring resident safety under the new rules.
Eighty-five people suffered bear attacks during the last fiscal year ending March 2025, resulting in three fatalities.
Hunters eliminated 5,136 bears during the same period, representing a significant decrease from over 9,000 bears culled the previous year.
Experts attribute increased bear presence in towns to rural depopulation and climate change affecting food availability and hibernation patterns.
Abandoned farms resulting from Japan’s declining population have further blurred boundaries between wild and residential areas.
The nation’s ageing population has contributed to a reduction in licensed hunters capable of managing bear populations effectively.
Bear sightings have been reported within the Tokyo metropolitan region in recent years, indicating expanding territorial ranges.
A man was reportedly attacked while fishing in a river within Tokyo’s mountainous jurisdictional area last month.
Public broadcaster NHK documented at least 39 bear sightings inside or near primary, middle, and high schools across Japan this year. – AFP
