Tokyo to Consider Lifting Ban on Bear Hunting in Tokyo After Rising Sightings
Tokyo plans conditional reopening of bear hunting in Tokyo as it develops a new management plan by March 31, 2027, responding to increased sightings and a recent injury.
Tokyo officials announced on June 16, 2026, that the metropolitan government is considering lifting its longstanding ban on hunting the Asiatic black bear—known in Japan as tsukinowaguma—under strict conditions. The proposal to reopen bear hunting in Tokyo is being framed as part of a broader effort to prevent harm to people and property following a series of sightings and a recent attack that injured a man. City officials said the decision would follow a new comprehensive management plan and deliberation by experts.
Assembly question and official response
Koji Miyazawa, director of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Environment Bureau, provided details during a representative question session of the Tokyo Assembly on June 16. He told members that the city will set up an expert council to debate whether to include a hunting component in the forthcoming bear management plan. The exchange followed a question from Liberal Democratic Party assembly member Mitsutaka Hirata, who pressed the administration on public safety measures amid rising local concern.
Miyazawa said the metropolitan government aims to draft the new plan within the current fiscal year, which runs through March 31, 2027. He emphasized that any change to the hunting ban would be conditional, with rules governing which hunters may take part and what techniques and safeguards would be required.
Recent incidents and rising sightings
Tokyo officials cited a string of bear sightings across the prefecture and a case last month in which a man was injured after an encounter with a bear as key drivers behind the policy review. Local residents and municipal authorities reported increased activity in forested and suburban zones, raising alarms about human-wildlife conflicts. The metropolitan government said it seeks measures that reduce the likelihood of future attacks while protecting communities that border natural habitat areas.
Municipal governments in Tokyo’s outlying districts have faced growing pressure to act after several high-profile incidents nationally highlighted the risks posed by expanding bear populations. City disaster and wildlife officials told the assembly that preventing injuries and property damage is now a higher priority as encounters become more frequent.
Drafting a new bear management plan
The Environment Bureau plans to complete a new bear management plan during fiscal 2026 and will present it for review by a specially convened advisory council of experts. That council is expected to analyze population data, movement patterns, habitat pressures, and the effectiveness of non-lethal measures such as fencing, deterrents, and public education. The bureau said the management plan will be comprehensive, addressing both conservation goals and measures for reducing human-bear interactions.
If the council recommends including hunting, the bureau intends to codify strict conditions within the plan that would govern when and how hunting can occur. Officials stressed that hunting would be only one element of a wider strategy that could include targeted capture, relocation where feasible, and community outreach to minimize attractants that draw bears into residential areas.
Conditions proposed and hunter qualifications
Tokyo signaled that any reopening of hunting would be conditional and tightly regulated. The Environment Bureau indicated it would consult with hunting organizations—including local ryoyukai (hunting associations)—to define technical skill requirements, safety protocols, and certification processes for hunters eligible to participate. Officials said they would set geographical limits, seasonal restrictions, and reporting obligations to ensure transparency and public safety.
The proposed safeguards are intended to balance the need for effective population management with conservation principles and animal welfare concerns. The bureau also said it would consider monitoring and verification systems to confirm that authorized hunters meet the required standards and that captures or culls are carried out as specified in the management plan.
Historical context and population trends
Tokyo has prohibited hunting of the Asiatic black bear in its wildlife protection plan since 2008, when the metropolitan government moved to prevent the species’ local decline. That ban has remained in place for nearly two decades, during which time periodic surveys have suggested bear numbers in some regions of Japan are rising. Tokyo officials cited those survey trends as part of the rationale for reassessing the policy now to address safety and coexistence challenges.
Conservation scientists note that bear populations can expand where human development creates new food sources or where protection measures reduce mortality. The metropolitan government said it will ground its decisions in the best available data, seeking expert input on population estimates and long-term ecological impacts before authorizing any hunting.
Stakeholder responses and next steps
Local residents, municipal leaders and hunting groups are expected to play active roles in consultations that follow the expert council’s review. Hunting associations have historically argued that trained hunters can contribute to effective, targeted management when properly regulated. Conversely, conservation groups and some community advocates have urged expanded non-lethal measures and more robust monitoring before any consideration of reopening hunting.
Tokyo’s Environment Bureau said it will solicit public input as the expert council deliberates and will publish proposed rules for comment. A final decision on whether to permit conditional hunting would come after the council’s recommendations and the completion of the new bear management plan by March 31, 2027.
As Tokyo weighs changes to decades-old policy, officials say the priority remains protecting residents while stewarding wildlife populations through science-based measures and clear, enforceable safeguards.
