Local Governments Across Japan Adopt Wildlife Hazard Countermeasures; Using AI to Detect Bear Sightings
According to a survey, 84% of local governments in Japan have allocated budgets for wildlife damage control, with many adopting AI-equipped monitors to detect bears and prevent injuries. The number of bear-related human injuries hit a record high in fiscal 2025.
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- 📰 Published: May 16, 2026 at 13:43
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According to a survey by Japanese media, among the 815 cities or districts (secondary administrative divisions) interviewed across Japan, 685 have allocated budgets for animal hazard countermeasures, accounting for 84% of the total, with some regions adopting monitors equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect bears, hoping to prevent damage.
The 'Nihon Keizai Shimbun' recently surveyed 815 secondary administrative divisions across Japan regarding the budgets allocated for the 2026 fiscal year to understand the situation in responding to wildlife hazards.
Among the allocated budgets, measures such as installing electrified fences to prevent intrusion, purchasing cage traps and other capture tools, and paying rewards to hunters are the most prominent. Over 90% of local governments in Hokkaido and the Tohoku region have allocated related budgets.
All municipal offices in Hokkaido that were interviewed have allocated related budgets, and specific countermeasures against species such as bears and deer are more prominent there.
Sapporo City in Hokkaido has allocated about 218 million yen to respond to wildlife such as brown bears and Ezo deer, using drones and other methods to establish an early warning mechanism. Cities like Muroran and Yubari are evaluating the establishment of a capture reward system.
Local governments such as Tendo City in Yamagata Prefecture and Kamo City in Niigata Prefecture have chosen the method of 'proactive deployment,' subsidizing the cutting down of fruit trees that attract bears to create buffer zones between humans and wildlife.
Meanwhile, Tonami City in Toyama Prefecture and Hakui City in Ishikawa Prefecture have decided to use monitors equipped with AI functions, hoping to prevent damage. Some areas have already begun to make good use of AI to detect bear sightings.
The Miyagi Prefectural Government in the Tohoku region, considering the increase in bear sightings, previously issued a 'Bear Sighting Alert' for the entire prefecture. The Sendai City Government, where the Miyagi Prefectural Government is located, has allocated 297 million yen to respond to wild birds and animals, including Asian black bears, and is promoting related measures to respond to bears appearing in urban areas.
In addition, in order to supplement the personnel responsible for capturing wild animals, many places are expanding the hiring of talent holding hunting permits and subsidizing citizens to obtain hunting licenses.
In Western Japan, where there are fewer bear damage cases, the focus is mainly on preventing damage to farmland caused by wild boars, deer, and monkeys.
According to preliminary statistics from the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, from April 1 last year to March 31 this year, in fiscal year 2025, 238 people in Japan were attacked and harmed by bears, of which 13 died. Both the number of victims and deaths hit record highs. More than 60% of these cases occurred in the 6 prefectures of Tohoku.
And in fiscal year 2026, which began on April 1, it is expected that many places in Japan will see the number of related cases exceed previous years.
The 'Nihon Keizai Shimbun' recently surveyed 815 secondary administrative divisions across Japan regarding the budgets allocated for the 2026 fiscal year to understand the situation in responding to wildlife hazards.
Among the allocated budgets, measures such as installing electrified fences to prevent intrusion, purchasing cage traps and other capture tools, and paying rewards to hunters are the most prominent. Over 90% of local governments in Hokkaido and the Tohoku region have allocated related budgets.
All municipal offices in Hokkaido that were interviewed have allocated related budgets, and specific countermeasures against species such as bears and deer are more prominent there.
Sapporo City in Hokkaido has allocated about 218 million yen to respond to wildlife such as brown bears and Ezo deer, using drones and other methods to establish an early warning mechanism. Cities like Muroran and Yubari are evaluating the establishment of a capture reward system.
Local governments such as Tendo City in Yamagata Prefecture and Kamo City in Niigata Prefecture have chosen the method of 'proactive deployment,' subsidizing the cutting down of fruit trees that attract bears to create buffer zones between humans and wildlife.
Meanwhile, Tonami City in Toyama Prefecture and Hakui City in Ishikawa Prefecture have decided to use monitors equipped with AI functions, hoping to prevent damage. Some areas have already begun to make good use of AI to detect bear sightings.
The Miyagi Prefectural Government in the Tohoku region, considering the increase in bear sightings, previously issued a 'Bear Sighting Alert' for the entire prefecture. The Sendai City Government, where the Miyagi Prefectural Government is located, has allocated 297 million yen to respond to wild birds and animals, including Asian black bears, and is promoting related measures to respond to bears appearing in urban areas.
In addition, in order to supplement the personnel responsible for capturing wild animals, many places are expanding the hiring of talent holding hunting permits and subsidizing citizens to obtain hunting licenses.
In Western Japan, where there are fewer bear damage cases, the focus is mainly on preventing damage to farmland caused by wild boars, deer, and monkeys.
According to preliminary statistics from the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, from April 1 last year to March 31 this year, in fiscal year 2025, 238 people in Japan were attacked and harmed by bears, of which 13 died. Both the number of victims and deaths hit record highs. More than 60% of these cases occurred in the 6 prefectures of Tohoku.
And in fiscal year 2026, which began on April 1, it is expected that many places in Japan will see the number of related cases exceed previous years.