Aiming for Safety: Hunting Association Members Train to Take on Bears in Urban Areas

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:53 JST, November 3, 2025

Members of a local hunting association take part in a training session with mock firearms in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture, on Oct. 27 as preparation for potential situations in which they might need to shoot bears that have entered urban areas. The first such session was held at Noshiro Park, which faces the city center and is surrounded by schools and residential areas. With more than 100 bear sightings reported in the city in October, residents are growing more tense every day. As of Oct. 31, bear attacks had left three people dead and 53 injured in Akita Prefecture.