Copyright kyodonews
TOKYO - The Japanese government stepped up measures on Thursday to counter a recent spate of bear attacks in the country, with an eye to considering the use of rifles by police. With Japan hit by a record high 12 fatalities in the current fiscal year from April, the top government spokesman, Minoru Kihara, said at a ministerial meeting on bear attacks that the current situation "threatens the security and safety of the people." The meeting was expanded to include eight ministries, up from the previous five, newly incorporating the Defense Ministry. Kihara, the chief Cabinet secretary, ordered the implementation of emergency measures. According to the Environment Ministry, the fiscal 2025 figure of 12 dead due to bear attacks was double the previous record of six in fiscal 2023. The ministry expressed plans to include funds for the enlistment of hunters within the fiscal 2025 supplementary budget, as well as laying out policies to manage the bear population, and said it would toughen the bear control measures implemented in 2024. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology created a summary of safety measures to take when commuting to school and on school premises for use by boards of education and related facilities across the country. "It is alarming that there have been cases that compromised the safety of children. We will work to ensure their safety," education minister Yohei Matsumoto said at the meeting. Around 130 members of the Ground Self-Defense Force held drills with local hunters at its camp in Akita Prefecture on Thursday.
