Copyright kyodonews
TOKYO - Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tuesday the Self-Defense Forces plans to offer logistical help to local authorities to counter bear attacks in northeastern Japan that have caused human casualties. With the SDF legally not allowed to participate in the shooting of bears, the ministry has been studying ways for it to offer other kinds of support such as transporting and disposing of culled bears in Akita Prefecture, ministry sources said. "The lives and livelihoods of people are under threat. We will promptly start with what can be done," Koizumi told a press conference in Tokyo before meeting with Akita Gov. Kenta Suzuki. In the meeting, Suzuki, a former Ground Self-Defense Force officer, requested Koizumi to consider dispatching SDF members to help locals set box traps and dispose of culled bears, saying the prefecture lacks manpower to deal with the incidents. "I received a positive response" from the minister over the dispatch of SDF members, Suzuki told reporters after the meeting. The request was made after a record high 10 people died in bear attacks in fiscal 2025, with the animals starting to show up in urban areas, mainly in Hokkaido, northern Japan, and the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference the same day he has instructed related ministries to compile additional measures, including reviewing damage prevention steps and developing specialized personnel. The ministries will hold a meeting on Thursday, the environment minister said. SDF members are not allowed to use weapons outside of drills except in cases of emergencies or for self-defense in the event of personnel being attacked, and the law contains no provision for use of firearms to cull wild animals, according to the Defense Ministry. Meanwhile, there have been cases in which the SDF has supported deer control efforts in Hokkaido and Kochi Prefecture in western Japan by monitoring deer habitats and transporting culled animals.
