The governor of Akita Prefecture asked the Defense Ministry on Tuesday to send in Self-Defense Forces personnel to help deal with a “truly dire” spate of deadly bear attacks.
Bears have killed a record 10 people in Japan so far this year, a government official confirmed, surpassing the previous high of six in the fiscal year that ended in March 2024.
The animals have been increasingly encroaching into towns due to factors including a declining human population and climate change.
