Updated
Updated · Japan Today · Jun 2
Bear Injures 4 in Fukushima, Prompting Emergency Hunt Near 3 Kilometers From Station
Updated
Updated · Japan Today · Jun 2

Bear Injures 4 in Fukushima, Prompting Emergency Hunt Near 3 Kilometers From Station

3 articles · Updated · Japan Today · Jun 2
  • Four people were hospitalized but remained conscious after a bear attacked two men at Fukushima Steel Works around 6:30 a.m., then mauled an elderly woman and another man in a nearby neighborhood.
  • Police said the bear was still at large Tuesday and were weighing an emergency declaration that would allow it to be shot after sightings began Monday evening.
  • The attacks unfolded about 3 kilometers northwest of JR Fukushima Station, pushing local elementary and junior high schools to cancel classes as officers searched the area.
  • The incident adds to Japan's rising bear encounters, after more than 230 attacks and a record 13 bear-related deaths were reported nationwide in 2025.
With Japan's countryside emptying, is the rise in bear attacks a wildlife problem or a human demographic crisis?
If bears learn that towns offer easy food, can Japan's national goal of 'coexistence' ever truly be achieved?