Japan has confirmed its first fatal bear attack of 2026, following a record 13 casualties last year. Authorities reported that a 55-year-old woman found dead in the northern Iwate prefecture last month was killed by a bear. Two other bodies discovered in Iwate on 7 May and Yamagata prefecture on 5 May are suspected to be linked to bear attacks as well.
Victims and Suspected Attacks
One of the victims was identified by NHK as 69-year-old Chiyoko Kumagai, who went missing after collecting edible wild plants in a mountain forest. She was found with injuries to her face and head consistent with animal claw marks.
Rising Bear Encounters
Japan experienced a surge in dangerous bear encounters in 2025, with animals entering homes, schools, supermarkets, and hot spring resorts. Experts attribute this to a growing bear population, climate-related food changes, depopulation in rural areas, and abandonment of farmland, pushing bears closer to human settlements.
In April, a woman’s body was found in Iwate shortly after a police officer was injured in a bear attack while searching for a missing person. The officer, 56, suffered wounds to an arm and face after encountering the bear near a stream. On Friday, the environment ministry confirmed the woman was indeed a victim of a bear attack.
Previous Fatal Attack
The last fatal bear attack occurred on 3 November 2025 in Yuzawa, Akita prefecture.
Bear Population Growth
According to a 2025 government report, Japan’s brown bear population has doubled over the past three decades to around 12,000, while Asian black bears on Honshu now number about 42,000. Last year, Japan deployed its military to Akita prefecture to contain deadly attacks, as bear sightings in the region jumped sixfold to over 8,000.
Following increased sightings near tourist areas, the Japan Tourism Agency decided to subsidise up to half the cost of installing protective fences around open-air baths at traditional inns and hotels. Sightings in 2026 have already surged, especially in the northern prefectures of Miyagi, Akita, and Fukushima.
