- It’s a grizzly situation in Japan.
Japan has a problem. A big, shaggy-furred, angry, and potentially deadly problem.
We’re talking about bears.
Aggressive bears are rampaging through Japan’s northern provinces. This year alone, the bears have attacked more than 100 people and killed 12.
With the bears becoming increasingly accustomed to people and encroaching deeper into cities, the Japanese government can’t just ignore the issue. So, they’ve decided to take drastic measures.
The government has recommended that Japanese children carry empty plastic bottles.
According to officials, the sound of plastic bottles crinkling may help drive bears away. Because if bear spray doesn’t work, the bottle surely will.
Fortunately, this harebrained advice isn’t the only measure the Japanese government has taken. In addition to plastic bottles, they’re helping communities plan ways to secure children’s school trips.
Oh, and they’ve sent in the troops. The Japanese military has been mobilized to trap and relocate bears from urban areas.
No, they’re not going in guns blazing. Not yet, at least.
A Fatal Trend
Japan’s bear situation is getting more and more desperate. As we mentioned earlier, since April 2025, Japan’s environment ministry has recorded more than 100 people injured in bear attacks, with 12 fatalities.
Granted, that is fewer attacks overall than in recent years. For instance, in 2023, there were 212 reported bear attacks.
Yet, this year has been much deadlier than usual. To compare again against 2023, only six people died from bear-induced injuries that year.
With the death toll having already doubled, the government is scrambling to do anything and everything to deter bear attacks. And that brings us to the plastic bottles.
The Plastic Bottle Solution
The suggestion to equip children with empty came from the environment and cultural ministries on October 30. It followed an incident the previous day when a bear rammed through the gates of an elementary school in the city of Nanyo.
According to officials, bears hate the sound of crumpling plastic bottles. As such, they may help drive bears away if they approach children.
May help.
In all seriousness, as good a headline as the plastic bottle suggestion makes, it’s recommended only as a last resort. Other, much more effective suggestions for children to protect themselves include ringing bicycle bells or specially-made bear repellent bells.
Bear spray would probably work too, but that’s not really something you should let an elementary schooler carry around.
The government has also instructed parents and local officials to take anti-bear measures to protect children. They advise localities to carefully monitor school routes and adjust them if necessary, establish a good communication system, and recommend that parents drive their kids to school or that schools offer online classes.
“Food should not be carried on commutes. If you see bear prints, leave the area,” the government also advises.
Send in the Troops
Yet, a bunch of good advice isn’t enough to control the bears. So, Japan is bringing out the big guns.
Figuratively speaking, for the time being.
Soldiers from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force have been deployed to the northern Akita prefecture, which has seen the most bear activity in the country. However, the military is under orders not to use live ammunition against the bears.
Instead of shooting the bears themselves, the soldiers will help escort volunteer hunters to high-bear areas to cull their population. They will also set up traps, relocate bears captured alive, and remove bear carcasses from successful hunts.
Why Are the Bears Attacking?
Japan’s bears have become particularly aggressive for a perfect storm of various reasons. To begin with, the country’s bear population is growing out of control, with an estimated 54,000 bears roaming the Japanese countryside (and cities, obviously).
Another reason is that Japan’s rural areas are quickly becoming empty, with a vast majority of young people moving to cities for work and easier living. As such, there are fewer hunters out there with each year to keep the bears in check.
With the empty countryside, the bears can freely move into the cities. And that brings up the problem of Japan’s urban planning.
Unlike in, for example, here in the U.S., where cities gradually disperse into suburbs, towns, and then rural farm regions, Japanese city regions empty very abruptly. So, if a bear wanders into a populated area, it won’t show up in a sparsely populated suburb but in a bustling city.
Finally, the bears have fallen on tough times lately. Issues such as low salmon population have left them hungry, so they’re on the move to find something to eat.
The Bear that Attacked the Military
This isn’t anywhere near the first time Japan’s bears have gotten so rambunctious that the military has had to get involved. Take, for example, the case that happened in 2021.
An agitated bear showed up in Sapporo, on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido. Over a seven-and-a-half-hour rampage, it mauled people, damaged public property, caused flights to be canceled, and broke into a military base. You can read more about the story here.
In that case, the military had no option but to shoot the bear. We can only wait and see if they have to load the guns in the current situation as well.