Japan’s emergency bear shooting system was used in a total of 81 cases across 14 of the country’s 47 prefectures during its first year, according to the Environment Ministry.
The program was first introduced in September 2025 and was used mainly in the Tohoku northeastern and Hokuriku central regions. The emergency culling system allows shooting of bears or wild boars in residential or other inhabited areas based on decisions by municipal governments.
Challenges still remain. It took time to secure safety in some cases while some local governments lack know-how.