Bear-vehicle collisions in Japan’s Akita hit record high - VIDEO
Vehicle collisions involving bears in Japan's Akita Prefecture, northeastern Japan, have surged to a record 118 this year as of October, more than five times the total for all of last year, prefectural police announced.
October alone saw 66 collisions, as bears were frequently spotted in residential areas, News.Az reports, citing Kyodo.
While the animals often fled the scene, incidents were recorded as bear-related based on driver accounts and other evidence. No human injuries have been reported so far this year.
Previous annual totals were 23 in 2022, 101 in 2023, 13 in 2022, 34 in 2021, and 26 in 2020, marking 2025 as the highest on record since data collection began in 2020.
Of the 118 incidents this year, about 80 percent occurred on ordinary roads such as national and prefectural highways, while the rest took place on expressways.
The sharp rise in traffic accidents involving bears reflects a broader increase in sightings and encounters across Japan. Preliminary government data showed bear sightings topped 20,000 from April to September, the highest for the same period in the past five years.
Since April, 13 people have died after being attacked by bears, the most on record, while the government has confirmed attacks on more than 100 people through September.
On Tuesday, a 75-year-old man in Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, sustained non-life-threatening injuries after being scratched on the cheek and shoulder by a bear about 80 centimeters long. He told police he turned around after hearing movement in the bushes behind him. A persimmon tree was nearby.
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