How to beware of bears in Japan

Growing up in Australia, we were always told about the dangers of natural predators in our environment - things like sharks, crocodiles, poisonous snakes, and spiders being just a few. Here in Japan, the animals to watch out for are different than what I'm used to, and one that poses some significant concern out in the countryside here are bears. 

Just the other day, two people were attacked at around 6 am in a spot around 2 kilometers from my home, which naturally has caused another wave of concern to sweep over the local area. This map lists bear sightings across Niigata, and you’ll see that it’s quite a prolific issue in these parts. A lot of people put it down to climate change and typical bear foods being limited in availability, causing them to venture into more populated areas.

So what do you do if you encounter a bear? And are there things you can do to avoid encountering them in the first place?

Bear sightings and attacks have been on the increase in Niigata in recent years, prompting many of us to research the best ways of being prepared if something happens.

Avoidance

Bells/radio

Several of our Japanese friends are avid hikers who always exercise bear precautions when they’re out. Bells or even the sounds of a radio are often used to indicate to bears that you’re essentially in their territory, so there are no surprise encounters. In saying that, there’s some conflicting evidence that they work - some people say that bears may actually be so used to the sound of humans wearing bells that it can have the opposite effect, and actually be seen as a jingling snack indicator.

Spray

Bear spray is, as you probably guessed, an aerosol based deterrent - effectively pepper spray. The main ingredient is capsaicin. You can find some options on Amazon Japan, but camping stores also typically have it available. If you’re camping/hiking in Japan, it can be useful to have on hand as a “just in case” option.

If you see poop or tracks, head back

If you’re out hiking and you see bear footprints or poop, it’s a good idea to turn around and head back. It’s not worth continuing on if you already know bears are nearby - do yourself a favor and minimize the risk.

Heeding local warnings

It might sound simple, but common sense isn’t always common. If there are bear sightings or warnings in your area, pay attention to them! Don’t assume that you’ll never encounter one. We have a great local community who have their fingers on the pulse when it comes to bear sightings, and information is distributed through Facebook pages.

If you do encounter a bear

Don’t run

You may have heard of the "fight or flight" response before. Humans in life threatening situations tend to do either one of two things: stick around and fight, or run for the hills. In the case of a bear encounter, you don’t want to go trying to punch the bear between the eyes, but don’t run. Running is said to often elicit a chase response in bears, which is really the last thing you want. They can run at around 25km an hour, so unless you're Usain Bolt, you don’t want to try and outrun them.

Maintain eye contact

As difficult as it sounds to do when you’re likely to be internally freaking out, maintaining eye contact goes hand in hand with not turning your back and running from the bear and thus being seen as prey.

Contact local police

Ultimately, if you encounter a bear it’s important to let others know too, so they can avoid the area. The police are able to get the message out about bear sightings or attacks in conjunction with other government bodies, so do your part to help others if you do see one.