Increased Japan Bear Sightings Make 80％ of Climbers Nervous to Go Mountain Climbing, Survey Shows

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:25 JST, November 3, 2025

About 80% of mountain climbers said they feel anxious about climbing mountains amid an increasing number of bear sightings around the country, according to a recent survey.

Japan Meteorological Corporation in Osaka conducted the survey from Sept. 24 to Oct. 14 on its weather information website tenki to kurasu (living with weather), which is used by many climbers. Of the 3,594 respondents, 57.3% said they climb mountains at least once a month.

More than half of the respondents answered that the rising number of bear sightings had forced them to change their climbing plans.

When asked if their attitude toward mountain climbing had changed due to the rising number of bear sightings, 19.2% of respondents said they had begun to feel extremely concerned and are hesitant to climb mountains. Meanwhile, 57.8% said they have become a little anxious and started to be more cautious.

In addition, 52.8% said increased bear sightings affected their mountain climbing plans. Regarding how their plans were specifically affected, with multiple answers allowed, 61.6% said they had changed their planned destinations while 29.1% answered that they canceled or postponed their plans.

When asked whether they increased preventative actions against bears during mountain climbing, 38% said they did. Many people said they were taking steps such as carrying bear bells or radios to keep bears away, bringing bear repellent sprays and staying on top of the latest information.