Bear attacks in Japan mobilize army in historic crisis in the country

The Japanese government called on the Army to help tackle a security crisis caused by bear attacks at bus stops, school doors and even inside supermarkets.

What happened

Country hits record for deadly bear attacks. According to The Sun newspaper, 11 people were killed and more than a hundred injured in 2025 alone. The most recent victim was an elderly woman in the Akita region, in the north of the country. The woman, identified as Kiyo Goto, 79, was found dead in the mountains this Monday morning (3).

Cases led Akita government to ask for federal help. The provincial governor, Kenta Suzuki, asked for the army to be sent to help contain the attacks. On Instagram, in a post on October 26, Suzuki reports on the difficulty of controlling the attacks, saying that the situation can no longer be controlled locally and that “the exhaustion of the field is reaching its limit.” Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi responded that the government “will make the best use of its capabilities and authority to restore security.”