Japan culled more than 14,000 bears between April 2025 and January 2026, according to government data. This included approximately 12,000 Asiatic black bears and 2,000 brown bears.
This action followed 2025 becoming the deadliest year on record for bear attacks in Japan, with 13 fatalities and over 230 people attacked. Most attacks occurred in the northern prefectures of Akita and Iwate, where record heat impacted the growth of beech nuts and acorns, a key food source for bears.
The high number of culled bears has prompted concern from conservationists. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies Asiatic black bears as vulnerable to extinction, with fewer than 60,000 worldwide. Yuko Muroya, chair of the Japan Bear and Forest Society, expressed a "profound sense of crisis," stating that continued trapping at this level could lead to regional extinctions.
Despite the cull, government statistics indicate that since April, six people have been killed and over 35 attacked across at least nine prefectures. The Japanese government has announced a target to cull another 8,800 bears this fiscal year.