Bear Attacks in Japan: The 2025 Crisis & How to Stay Alive

The Growing Threat: Bear Encounters in Japan

Japan is facing a serious bear problem. Attacks are surging, hitting record numbers, and the media is flooded with reports. This isn’t just a rural annoyance; it’s a deadly serious issue, especially for anyone looking to explore the country’s beautiful mountains.

Why Is This Happening Now?

The situation is a perfect storm of several factors. It’s not one single cause.

  • Starvation: The main driver. This year and last saw a massive failure of beech nuts and acorns, the bears’ primary food source. They are starving, and hungry bears are desperate.
  • Depopulation: Rural Japan is emptying out. As villages age and shrink, abandoned farmland quickly becomes overgrown, blurring the line between wilderness and human territory. Bears are simply walking into areas that were once off-limits.
  • Population Boom: Conservation efforts worked. Bear populations, particularly the Asiatic black bear, have rebounded from their lows. Now, there are too many bears competing for too little food in shrinking habitats.
  • They’ve Lost Their Fear: Bears (especially young ones) that find food in garbage dumps or unattended campsites learn a fatal lesson: humans mean easy food. They are becoming bolder and see humans as obstacles, not threats.

The Bears of Japan: Know Your Opponent

Japan has two native bear species. Forget what you think you know about bears. These are not cartoon characters.

The Monster: Ussuri Brown Bear (Higuma)

  • Where: Found only in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island.
  • Size: This is a monster, a true apex predator, and a close relative of the North American grizzly. We’re talking males standing over 2.5 meters (8+ feet) tall and weighing up to 400kg (880 lbs) or more. They are walking tanks, capable of flipping cars and tearing down small structures. They are terrifyingly fast, strong, and aggressive.
  • Threat: This is the bear of nightmares. It has a history of horrific, multi-victim attacks (search the “Sankebetsu incident” if you have the stomach for it). They are opportunistic hunters. They will see you as food.

The Brawler: Asiatic Black Bear (Tsukinowaguma)

  • Where: Found on Japan’s main islands, Honshu and Shikoku (extinct on Kyushu). This is the bear you are most likely to encounter outside of Hokkaido.
  • Size: Let’s get the numbers straight first. Males typically stand 110-150cm (3.5 – 5 feet) tall and weigh 50-120kg (110-265 lbs).
  • Threat: You read those numbers and think, “That’s smaller than a Higuma.” That is the mistake that gets people killed. This bear, identified by the white crescent mark on its chest, is responsible for the vast majority of attacks in Japan. Don’t let the “smaller” size fool you. A 120kg brawler is still a dense block of muscle, claw, and teeth that can easily overpower and kill an adult human. They are agile climbers, fast runners, and incredibly dangerous when surprised or hungry.

Fatality Rates: Playing Russian Roulette

You asked about the fatality rate. Here’s the brutal truth. These are not good odds.

  • Asiatic Black Bear (Honshu): According to Japan’s Ministry of the Environment data from 2023 (a record year), there were 219 attacks resulting in 6 deaths. This puts the fatality rate at approximately 2.7%. This isn’t zero. It means 1 in every 37 attacks ends in death.
  • Ussuri Brown Bear (Hokkaido): This is where the numbers get terrifying. While encounters are less frequent, reports (like those from the Japan Mountaineering Association) place the fatality rate for a Higuma attack at a staggering 26.5%.

That is not a typo. If you are attacked by a brown bear in Hokkaido, you have a 1-in-4 chance of dying.

The bottom line: An attack from either species is a life-threatening event, but an encounter with a Higuma is a coin flip for survival.

The 2024/2025 Statistics: A Record Year for Bloodshed

The numbers are grim. The Japanese fiscal year (starting in April) has seen the worst statistics on record.

As of late 2025 (this current period), Japan has recorded:

These aren’t just climbers in remote mountains. Many victims are farmers, elderly residents, or people attacked near their own homes. The bears are coming to town.

How Tourists Can Stay Safe (Or Just Avoid Bears Entirely)

Let’s be clear: we are not survival experts. An encounter with a starving, 400kg predator is not a simple “checklist” situation.

The best survival guide is blunt: Don’t risk the encounter.

The Safe Alternative: Hike Without Fear

If you want to experience Japan’s incredible nature without the lethal risk of bears, focus your plans on the southern islands.

  • Kyushu: Japan’s third-largest island. Bears here are considered extinct. You can hike the stunning Kuju mountains or Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park worry-free. Especially, We recommend you to go Aso, Kumamoto and Beppu, Oita. There are great vast nature and famous Onsen (Hot spring)
  • Yakushima: This World Heritage island south of Kyushu is famous for its ancient, moss-covered cedar forests. It has zero bears.
  • Okinawa & Remote Islands: Japan’s tropical islands are beautiful, unique, and completely bear-free.
Sadogashima, Nigata

You can have an incredible wilderness adventure in Japan without ever having to check over your shoulder.

If You Absolutely Must Hike in Bear Country (Honshu, Hokkaido)

If you are absolutely set on hiking in Honshu, Shikoku, or (especially) Hokkaido, you must accept the risk. Do not treat this lightly.

  1. Follow Local Guidance. This is the most important rule. Before you hike, go to the local tourist information center or park ranger station. Ask about recent sightings. They have the most up-to-date information. If they advise against hiking, do not hike.
  2. Heed the Signs. If you see a warning sign (“熊出没注意” – Kuma Shutsugai Chūi), it is not a suggestion. It means bears are active right there, right now. Turn back.
  3. Carry Bear Spray. Especially in Hokkaido, this is not optional. Buy it when you arrive (you cannot fly with it) and know how to use it.
  4. Make Noise. Wear bear bells (Kuma-suzu). Talk loudly. Do not let yourself surprise a bear.

We hope you will have a nice trip!