[New Area Opened] First-Ever 'Wildlife Risk Management Zone' Established in Response to Frequent Bear Damages

The Local Government & Public Week Executive Committee (planned and operated by RX Japan Co., Ltd., Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Executive Officer and President: Takeshi Tanaka) will establish a new 'Wildlife Risk Management Zone' at the '5th Regional Disaster Prevention EXPO (within Local Government & Public Week 2026)', held for three days from May 13 (Wednesday) to 15 (Friday), 2026, at Tokyo Big Sight.

With the Ministry of the Environment adding bears to the list of designated managed wildlife in April 2024*¹, and national countermeasures being strengthened, bear sightings continue to be reported nationwide after hibernation in 2026. In Tohoku prefectures such as Aomori, Akita, and Miyagi, 'bear sighting advisories and warnings' have been issued with unprecedented speed immediately after the start of the fiscal year in April, putting these regions on high alert*² due to record damages in the previous year and early sightings after hibernation. Currently, the risk of bear damage is becoming serious not only in rural areas but also in residential zones, making bear countermeasures an urgent issue for local governments.

Against the backdrop of the increasing bear damages frequently occurring in various regions in recent years, this exhibition has newly established the 'Wildlife Risk Management Zone.' This zone will bring together the latest technologies, such as AI cameras, EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) certified bear repellent sprays, and cloud management, as alternatives to traditional 'traps' and 'patrols.'

*1 Reference: Ministry of the Environment 'Various Information and Initiatives Regarding Bears'

*2 Reference: Aomori Prefecture 'Bear Sighting Warning Issued (Updated April 21, Reiwa 8)'

Reference: Akita Prefecture 'Bear Sighting Advisory Switched to Bear Sighting Warning (Updated April 14, Reiwa 8)'

Reference: Miyagi Prefecture 'Bear Sighting Warning Issued Across the Entire Prefecture (Issued April 19, Reiwa 8)'

Official Homepage

Featured Exhibited Products (Partial Selection)

[Automatic Bear Detection by AI] Bearert

To be released from March 31, 2026. Adopts a world-class advanced AI model, based on tens of thousands of patterns of training data, identifying bears with an overwhelming accuracy of '99%', significantly surpassing competitors' recognition rates (around 90%). It boasts a detection range of up to 110m during the day and 80m even at night (competitor average 50m), ensuring sufficient time for workers to evacuate when a bear approaches, as a bear can run 100m in approximately 6 seconds.

[Exhibitor: BOJO RESEARCH INC.]

[Repel Bears with Sound and Light] IKAZUCHI

IKAZUCHI is a portable bear repeller that deters bears with sound and light. It was developed based on 'Boken TECH' (proprietary technology accumulated from years of experience in wildlife damage countermeasures, differentiating know-how), a unique technical system cultivated over many years in wildlife damage control. While 'Bearert' mentioned above serves as the core of permanent measures to 'prevent encounters altogether,' this product acts as the 'last defense' in case of an encounter. By combining these, a multi-layered safety net is constructed.

[Exhibitor: BOJO RESEARCH INC.]

[EPA Certified] UDAP Bear Repellent Spray

[Effective against Brown Bears] This is a powerful, EPA-certified bear repellent spray made by UDAP, a top US manufacturer. This product is expected to be effective not only against Asian black bears but also against large brown bears. Its unique feature is its proprietary jet spray. In a sudden encounter, it powerfully releases an overwhelming amount of components in the first 1-2 seconds, instantly creating a thick 'pepper fog wall' that covers a wide area and reliably stops a bear's charge.

[Exhibitor: Fujikon corporation Co., Ltd.]

[Efficient and Safe Monitoring Operations] Wildlife Management Cloud System

This cloud system makes bear countermeasure monitoring operations efficient and safe. By utilizing sensor cameras with 4G communication functions, captured images are automatically transmitted to the cloud, allowing remote real-time confirmation and management. For bear countermeasures, it is particularly effective for monitoring capture traps. As the capture status can be confirmed remotely, on-site patrols are reduced, significantly lowering the time and labor costs associated with monitoring.

[Exhibitor: Farm Age Co., Ltd.]

[Bear Intrusion Prevention Fence] E-environment

This is a hybrid specification fence with a height of 2.5m and a smooth upper plate, eliminating footholds and creating a psychological barrier by obstructing vision, effectively preventing bears from climbing in and deer from jumping over. Demonstration experiments have confirmed that bears cannot climb this intrusion prevention fence, and it has also proven to be sufficiently durable against damage and load. This substantiates the intrusion prevention performance and structural reliability.

[Exhibitor: NEXCO East Japan Engineering Co., Ltd.]

(Content as of April 30, 2026)

Overview

Dedicated area for countermeasures against wildlife damage from bears, monkeys, wild boars, deer, etc.

■ Project Name: Wildlife Risk Management Zone (within [Local Government & Public Week 2026] 5th Regional Disaster Prevention EXPO)

■ Concurrently held exhibitions: Regional Revitalization EXPO / Local Government DX Exhibition / Smart City Promotion EXPO /