TOKYO –
Tokyo authorities carried out the capital’s first emergency shooting of a captured bear in Hachioji after an adult Asiatic black bear was found caught in a trap near a residential area about 8 kilometers from Takao Station.
Police notified Hachioji officials at around 3:30 p.m. on September 28 that the bear had been caught in a trap in Otsumachi, Hachioji, with one of its hind legs pinned. Video from the scene showed the animal struggling to free itself.
Following its emergency response manual, the city authorized the use of a firearm to kill the captured bear, marking the first emergency bear shooting carried out in Tokyo.
Otsumachi lies about 8 kilometers from Takao Station, the main gateway to Mount Takao, one of Tokyo’s best-known recreational areas.
Homes are located close to where the bear was trapped, and about 70 households live in the surrounding area, according to the head of the neighborhood association.
Bear sightings have been reported repeatedly in the area.
Neighborhood association head Yamashita said a bear had previously been recorded by a vehicle’s dashboard camera crossing a road. He said local events and community cleaning days have sometimes been canceled after bear sightings because an adult bear could also be nearby.
The area regularly experiences damage caused by deer and wild boars, and traps had been installed to catch those animals. The bear was caught in one of those traps.
Experts have warned that bears that learned to obtain food in populated areas in 2025 could return to the same areas in 2026.
Takayoshi Yamauchi, an associate professor at Iwate University’s Faculty of Agriculture, said beech nut crops were extremely poor in 2025, particularly in the Tohoku region and Hokkaido, prompting large numbers of bears to descend into populated areas in search of food.
He said some bears have become heavily dependent on food resources in human settlements, with parts of inhabited areas effectively becoming part of their normal range.
Signs of bears becoming accustomed to people have also been reported elsewhere in Japan.
A bear filmed in August in Shiretoko, Shari, Hokkaido, showed little reaction even when the person filming called out. The person who recorded the footage said the animal appeared highly accustomed to humans.
On September 10, two bears were seen walking slowly along a road in Takinoue, Hokkaido, appearing largely unconcerned by their surroundings.
There have also been serious attacks involving bears entering populated areas. In October 2025, an 82-year-old woman was attacked by a bear while taking a walk in Daisen, Akita Prefecture.
Yamauchi warned that the proximity of residential districts in Hachioji means encounters with bears are becoming a realistic possibility even within Tokyo.
He said people who encounter a bear should avoid shouting, throwing objects or suddenly turning their backs and running, as startling the animal could trigger an attack. He advised people to move quickly into a vehicle or building whenever possible.
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