Bear attacks in Japan have reached a record seven killed this year

The number of people killed by bears in Japan this year has reached a record high, the country’s environment ministry said.

Seven people have died since April – the highest since 2006, when figures were first recorded – with deaths mostly in the northeastern regions and northern Hokkaido prefecture.

A 60-year-old man cleaning an outdoor hot-water bath has gone missing in what is believed to be the latest incident.

Bear attacks typically increase in the fall, before bears hibernate, and experts say low beech nut yields due to climate change may drive hungry animals into residential areas. Depopulation has also been cited as a factor.

Environment ministry figures show the seven deaths this year exceed the five recorded in the year to April 2024.

Around 100 other people have also been injured so far this year, compared with 85 injuries and three deaths in the previous 12 months.

Investigators found human blood and bear fur at the scene of the latest suspected bear attack in the city of Kitakami in Iwate Prefecture on Thursday.

It comes after a man found dead last week in Iwate was confirmed to have been killed by a bear.

Another recent incident occurred in Numata, Gunma, north of Tokyo, when a 1.4-meter (4.5-foot) adult bear entered a supermarket, slightly injuring two men, one in his 70s and another in his 60s.

The store is near mountainous areas, but bears have never come close before.

According to local media, the store manager said there were about 30 to 40 customers inside and the bear became agitated as it struggled to find an exit.

On the same day, a farmer in the Iwate area was scratched and bitten by a bear accompanied by a cub in front of his house.

And earlier this month, a Spanish tourist was attacked by a bear at a bus stop in the village of Shirakawa-go in central Japan.

There are two types of bears in Japan – Asiatic black bears and larger brown bears, which are found on the island of Hokkaido.