Japan Reels from Deadly Bear Attacks, 3 Killed in One Week

Japan has been grappling with a disturbing surge in deadly bear attacks, with three people killed by the animals in the span of just one week as of October 2025.

In the first incident, an elderly man in his 70s went missing after going scavenging in the woods in Iwate Prefecture. His body was later found, and officials suspect he was attacked by a bear based on the scratch marks on his body.

In a separate case, police in Iwate discovered the decapitated body of a man, with his head and torso separated, in what they believe was another bear attack. Meanwhile, a 78-year-old man was found dead in Nagano Prefecture, also with multiple claw marks on his body, though the cause of his death is still under investigation.

The recent spate of fatal bear encounters has raised alarm in Japan, which is home to two species of bears - the Asian black bear and the Ussuri brown bear. Experts attribute the rise in attacks to factors like climate change and a decline in bear populations in certain regions, leading the animals to venture closer to human settlements in search of food.

Between April and September 2025 alone, the country's Environment Ministry reported 103 people nationwide experiencing bear-related injuries. With the latest three suspected bear attack deaths, the agency is bracing for a potential record-breaking year in terms of fatalities.

The situation has become so dire that even a bear wandering into a supermarket in Gunma Prefecture last week made headlines, injuring two people before fleeing the scene.