TOKYO — In a concerning incident on Tuesday, a bear attacked and injured four individuals in a residential neighborhood in Japan, highlighting a growing trend of these animals encroaching on human habitats in certain regions.
According to Japan’s Environment Ministry, a troubling rise in bear encounters has been noted, with a record 13 fatalities and over 230 attacks occurring in 2025 alone.
Authorities, including police and fire department personnel, swiftly responded to the Sasakino district in Fukushima, northeastern Japan, following an urgent call from Fukushima Steel Works. The call reported that two of its employees had been attacked by a bear.
Surveillance footage captured the dramatic moment when a black bear appeared, pursuing an employee near the facility’s entrance.
The footage shows the bear tackling a young man in his 20s as he attempts to escape, throwing him to the ground.
The bear then proceeded further into the premises, where it attacked and injured a second employee, a man in his 60s.
The bear later injured a third person, a male employee in his 60s at a separate company.
A woman in her 80s who lives in the neighborhood was also attacked and injured, the Fukushima City Fire Department said.
The three men sustained minor injuries, and the woman had moderate injuries, but none were considered life-threatening, the fire department said.
The bear had not been caught as of Tuesday afternoon and was believed to be inside the second company compound, which was surrounded by uniformed police carrying long sticks.
Two nearby schools were closed, including Noda Elementary School, which held classes online and put a warning on its website to “avoid non-essential outings and stay safe.”
The bear attack has rekindled last year’s nationwide fear that led to Japan’s army being dispatched to the northern prefecture of Akita, where more than 60 people were attacked by bears, with four killed.
The encroachment by a growing bear population has occurred in a region with a rapidly aging and declining human population that has few people trained to hunt the animals, experts say.
The Japanese government in March estimated the overall bear population at around 57,800. Officials have adopted a road map of bear population management, calling for systematic culling.
Under the plan, the number of municipal bear control staff will triple to 2,500 within five years, while the number of bear traps will double.
Bear sightings were reported recently in Tokyo’s western suburbs, including the hiking area of Okutama. Park officials have set up additional traps and launched bear alerts on social media.
The government has stepped up a public awareness campaign, urging hikers and mushroom hunters to check notifications about bear sightings and avoid outdoor activity in the early morning and evening when bears are active.
An environment ministry manual advises that anyone encountering a bear should not panic, move slowly, and avoid turning around and running.
As a last resort, the manual says anyone attacked should turn face down, ball up, and cover their neck.
“The point is to save yourself from a fatal wound,” according to the manual.
