In a separate incident in the central Toyama region, an official told AFP “a woman in her 70s was injured in a bear attack” on Friday.
This week, Japan’s new environment minister vowed to get tough on bears, calling the attacks “a serious problem”.
“We are committed to further strengthening various measures, including securing and training government hunters and managing the bear population,” the minister said.
In one of the previous fatal attacks, a 60-year-old went missing earlier this month while cleaning an open-air bath in northern Iwate prefecture, an environment ministry official told AFP.
Bears have attacked tourists, entered stores and appeared near schools and parks, particularly in northern regions.
Japan has two types of bear: Asian black bears – also known as moon bears – and the bigger brown bears that live on the main northern island of Hokkaido.
Thousands of bears are shot every year, although Japan’s ageing human population means that the number of hunters is declining.
Source: CNA
