As bear encounters surge, Japan looks beyond culling

Japan’s estimated 58,000 bears are increasingly coming into contact with people, prompting authorities to rethink how they manage the population.

A bear walks on the premises of an office in Fukushima, Japan, Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)

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NAGANO: Behind the metal bars of an enclosure in Nagano, a 100kg Asiatic black bear reaches its paw through the gaps for a carrot.

It has lived in captivity for most of its life, after being taken in as a cub when its mother was culled more than 20 years ago.

Its story reflects a dilemma that has become increasingly urgent in Japan: what should be done when bears and people come into conflict .

An Asiatic black bear living in an enclosure in Nagano since it was taken in as a cub. (Image: CNA)

More than 50,000 bear sightings were reported nationwide from April 2025 to March 2026, the highest on record. This was more than double the previous record of nearly 25,000 set two years before.

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