Guide · Wild and Trek
Bears in Japan: where the risk is, and what to carry
Bears live on Honshu and Hokkaido. The ministry says make noise, hike in groups, check sightings and carry spray. FY2025 set a record: 238 people hurt.
Bears live on Honshu and Hokkaido, and Kyushu and Okinawa are reported bear-free. The Ministry of the Environment tells hikers to make their presence known, go in groups, check recent sightings and carry bear spray. FY2025 set a record: 216 incidents, 238 people hurt and 13 deaths (preliminary).
Where do bears matter?
Bears matter on forest trails across Honshu and Hokkaido. The ministry’s detailed visitor rules come from its Shiretoko page on brown bears. Its national advice is shorter: check sightings before a trip, do not go alone and carry a bell, radio or spray.
| Area | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Hokkaido | Brown bears. The ministry publishes visitor rules for Shiretoko |
| Daisetsuzan | The ministry's 2026 leaflet says conditions of use can change with sightings; ask centre staff |
| Tohoku | News reports record an Iwate death in April 2026, the first April death since 2021, and a Hakkoda death in June |
| Tateyama | News reports say two people were injured at Shomyo Falls in May 2026 |
| Kii Peninsula | A secondary guide lists bears here. The Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau calls them rare on the Nakahechi route and reports no incidents there |
| Shikoku | Unconfirmed |
| Kyushu, Okinawa | Reported bear-free by a secondary guide |
Operators have reacted. One news report (secondary) from August 2026 says tour operators now require spray or bells, and that some trails closed for about a month before reopening on 1 August. It does not name the region.
Forest trails in Hokkaido and on Honshu need the full checklist below. All safety advice on this page is the Ministry of the Environment’s.
How many people are hurt, and is it getting worse?
FY2025 was a record year: 216 incidents, 238 people hurt and 13 deaths, in preliminary ministry figures as summarised by a news report (secondary). Preliminary figures can still change. Sightings reached about 50,000, more than double FY2024.
| Fiscal year | Sightings |
|---|---|
| FY2023 | 24,348 |
| FY2024 | 20,513 |
| FY2025 | 50,359 |
A later report gives 50,801 for FY2025, so the count varies by report.
Deaths had already reached 7 by mid-October 2025, the highest since FY2006 at that point. In November 2025 a cabinet package, per news reports (secondary), allowed emergency police culling and set up buffer zones.
The trend continued into 2026. News reports put sightings from April to June 2026 at 12,628, reported as more than 5,000 higher than in 2025.
Do bears matter in winter?
Risk falls in winter but does not end for brown bears. The ministry’s brown bear page puts hibernation at December to March and warns of attacks near dens in east Hokkaido in February. It has no statement on winter risk for bears on Honshu; its advice to check recent sightings applies there too.
What should you carry?
Carry a bell or a radio, bear spray and a bag for your rubbish, and use your voice too. The items below come from the ministry’s Shiretoko page and its national advice.
| Item | Ministry reason |
|---|---|
| Bell | Makes your presence known, especially in poor visibility |
| Voice | Clapping or talking does the same job |
| Radio | Listed in the national advice with the bell and spray |
| Bear spray | Buy or rent it after landing; aim at the eyes and nose |
| Rubbish bag | Take all rubbish home and never bury it |
What does the ministry advise on the trail?
Make noise, go in a group and check sightings first. The ministry’s checklist:
- Make your presence known: clap, talk or ring a bell, especially in poor visibility.
- Go in groups, especially at dawn, dusk and night. Do not go alone.
- Check recent sightings before you go.
- Take all rubbish home. Never bury it.
- If you see a bear from the road, stay in your vehicle and do not stop to watch.
- Never approach cubs.
- Do not retrieve items a bear has taken.
Is a bell enough?
A bell is one tool, not the whole plan. The ministry lists a bell together with your voice and clapping, and says to use them especially in poor visibility. The national advice names a radio and spray as separate items, so carry more than one.
What do you do when you see a bear?
Act by distance. The ministry gives no distances in metres, only far, near and next to you.
| Situation | Ministry advice |
|---|---|
| Bear far away | Leave quietly |
| Bear near | Face it, back away slowly, ready the spray |
| Bear next to you | Stay still |
Safety Aim the spray at the bear’s eyes and nose and discharge the whole can. If a bear attacks, curl up and protect your head and neck.
Can you bring bear spray to Japan?
No. The ministry says bear spray cannot go on an aircraft, whether in carry-on or checked bags. Buy or rent it after you land. The ministry’s Rausu Visitor Centre in Shiretoko rents bear spray for a fee; no official list of other rental points was found. One secondary guide says the Sounkyo visitor centre in Daisetsuzan rents bells.
What are the rules at Shiretoko Five Lakes?
The Five Lakes ground-level path needs a registered guide in peak bear season, shown as 10 May to 31 July on the ministry’s Rausu Visitor Centre page, which is undated, so confirm each year. The boardwalk to the first lake is open without a guide, and all of Shiretoko National Park is bear habitat. The Goko field house rules bar feeding, litter, cooking or eating, smoking and drones, and require you to stay on the paths. Guides must be certified or authorised by the ministry. Ask these contacts about current conditions:
| Contact | Phone |
|---|---|
| Goko field house | 0152-24-3323 or 0152-24-2022 |
| World Heritage Center | 0152-24-2297 |
| Kushiro office | 0154-32-7500 |
The Kushiro office is the ministry’s Kushiro Nature Conservation Office, the contact listed for Shiretoko.
Before you go Check recent sightings on the day, and ask the visitor centre or your lodging whether trails are open. At Daisetsuzan, conditions of use can change with sightings.
Where next?
Shiretoko drift ice walk and cruises covers the same coast in winter, when bears hibernate. Hokkaido and Tohoku have regional notes on alerts. Climbing Fuji and Volcano alert levels in Japan cover the other mountain safety rules. The Wild and Trek guide covers hiking tracks region by region, and the Wild and Trek hub lists every wildlife and trek page.
Questions
Yes, on Honshu and Hokkaido. A secondary travel guide reports Kyushu and Okinawa as bear-free and Shikoku as unconfirmed. The Ministry of the Environment recorded 238 people hurt and 13 deaths in FY2025 (preliminary).
No. The ministry says bear spray cannot go on an aircraft, in carry-on or checked bags. Buy or rent it after you land.
It depends on distance. The ministry says leave quietly if the bear is far, face it and back away slowly with the spray ready if it is near, and stay still if it is next to you. If it attacks, curl up and protect your head and neck.
The ministry advises against going alone. Its national advice is to check recent sightings first and to carry a bell, radio or spray, and it says to go in groups, especially at dawn, dusk and night.