Lessons in bear necessities of life - 20th July 2026

Bear attacks on humans are becoming more prevalent in Japan according to figures released for the year to March, which saw 13 people lose their lives and 238 suffer serious attacks. A further 5 individuals have perished in attacks in the three months since April, placing renewed focus on the role bear experts play delivering awareness sessions that protect local children from violent encounters with bears.

In Japan's northern region of Tohoku, these half-yearly, in-school sessions develop children's understanding of bears, with experts putting the animal's fur, its powerful claws - even a real skull - in students' hands.

The predominant bear species found in Japan's the Asian black bear. The surge in attacks has been partly attributed to climate change, which has caused fluctuations in food availability, driving bears from their mountain habitats into urban settings.

Schools in Tohoku enforce strict protocols whenever two or more reports of bear sightings quickly follow one another. Precautions include parents driving children to school as opposed to walking, and children being ferried home directly from school on a special bus service.

Bear awareness days also practise valuable techniques which aim to avoid an attack should children find themselves in close proximity to a bear - such as avoiding direct eye contact and moving away quietly and slowly without showing their back to the bear. Other tactics to safeguard themselves include wearing bear bells, carrying bear sprays and walking to school talking loudly with friends.

The principal of this school in the town of Ina, Hiroshi Aruga, is confident that adopting the right strategies will enable humans and bears to live in harmony.

Hiroshi Aruga: "Dr Takii well understands the behaviour of wild bears in this area, and she assures they are not aggressive. I am convinced it's safe to live with them as long as humans don't provoke them."