Photo/Illutration A bear is spotted on the premises of the Hara-Kei Memorial Museum in Morioka on Oct. 20. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Cabinet members on Oct. 30 discussed new policies and countermeasures to prevent bear attacks, which the top government spokesman described as “a serious threat to public safety.”

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara urged officials at the meeting to finalize a comprehensive response package by mid-November.

Bear attacks have killed 12 people since April, the highest annual death toll on record.

The number of reported bear-related incidents remains on par with the record-setting figures of fiscal 2023.

Bears are increasingly appearing in urban areas, including residential neighborhoods and schools, mainly in northern parts of Japan.

The Oct. 30 meeting was attended by Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and other senior officials.

Participants reviewed the current state of bear-related damage and measures already in place.

Discussions also covered strategies to secure trained personnel, including hunters employed by local governments to capture the animals.

In response to a similar bear crisis during fiscal 2023, the government introduced a set of countermeasures in fiscal 2024 aimed at preventing the animals from entering residential areas.

However, officials acknowledged that the situation remains severe, leading to renewed calls to update and reinforce the existing measures.

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