JAPAN has become the world’s bear attack capital after a record number of fatal encounters which have left humans savaged and dismembered.
Ten people have been mauled to death with over 100 injured in a horror spate of assaults across the country this year alone.
Japan has been hit by a terrifying record number of fatal bear attacks in 2025 with 10 people being killed and over 100 injuredCredit: Alamy
One of the most brutal bear rampages saw Kiwi ultra-marathon runner Billy Halloran, 32, have his arm completely snapped offCredit: Billy Halloran
One horror encounter saw a bear go on a rampage inside a supermarketCredit: AFP
Locals and tourists have been targeted by the prowling beasts inside supermarkets, outside schools and even at bus stops.
One man even had his head ripped off in a brutal attack.
The latest bear encounter took place on Friday and saw one man die and three others injured in a savage group attack.
In a mountainous village in the northern region of Akita, police received a report of a serious bear mauling.
A local police officer said they found one man dead near to a farm with three others being rushed to a nearby hospital.
A separate incident in central Toyama region saw a woman in her 70s also injured in a bear attack just hours earlier.
Earlier this month, in suspicious circumstances in northern Iwate prefecture.
Katsumi Sasazaki was cleaning an open-air bath by himself when he suddenly vanished.
Investigators found human blood and bear fur at the scene, a Japanese environment ministry official said.
Another man in his 70s had his .
Police said they found a local mushroom picker without a head and covered in scratch marks with his limbs hanging off also in Iwate.
While in the central prefecture of Nagano, the body of a 78-year-old man with multiple claw marks was found at the start of October.
The government say they are committed to stopping so many fatal human and bear interactions.
This week, Japan’s new environment minister vowed to crackdown tough on roaming bears across the country.
Officials warned they have a “serious problem”.
They announced: “We are committed to further strengthening various measures including securing and training government hunters and managing the bear population.”
Plans will see specialist hunters deployed in public areas where bears are being sighted more and more.
The animals have been increasingly encroaching towards bustling Japanese towns due to deforestation, according to experts.
There are now signs all across Japan warning tourists and locals of bear hotspotsCredit: Getty
A farmer in Iwate region was scratched and bitten by a bear who walked up to his house accompanied by a cubCredit: Getty
This means they are often being forced to venture closer to built up areas for food and shelter.
Other suggest the declining population in Japan could also be a factor with bears becoming more likely to wander into areas with less people around.
The number of fatal attacks have spiked in recent years.
A record number of attacks have been reported in each of the past two years.
The previous highest was six in the year that ended in March 2024.
Ten fatal attacks have been registered this year already – with several months still to go.
Over 100 non-fatal attacks have also been reported this year alone.
Several attacks have taken place in highly populated areas.
In Numata, just north of Tokyo, a 4.5ft adult bear entered a supermarket before going on an unstoppable rampage.
Footage showed the menacing beast prowling around the aisles and injuring two men in their 60s and 70s.
The terrifying rise of 'ninja bears'
OFFICIALS are said to be investigating a group of savage bears rampaging in Japan who are feared to have acquired a taste for human flesh.
Residents of the peaceful island of Hokkaido have been grappling with fears over these “ninja bears” in recent months.
They have been attacking humans and devouring cattle in bloody attacks.
For many years, bears in Japan stayed in the wild and did not interfere with human lives much – except for just a few rare glimpses.
However, now dozens of wild bears have been running amok and causing widespread destruction.
Although bears largely consume a vegetarian diet, experts have started to fear that the savage beasts have now acquired a taste for flesh.
It comes after several dead deer started to appear in the woods after they were hunted by humans.
Their remains were dumped in the woodlands where bears stumbled upon them.
Yasushi Fujimoto, head of a hunting organisation, said: “The mountain is turning into a restaurant for bears, because of the remains left on the mountain after hunting.
“The lack of professional hunters, like park rangers in Alaska financed by the government, is a problem when it comes to controlling the number of bears.”
Around 30 to 40 customers were trapped inside at the time as the bear quickly grew agitated as it struggled to find the exit.
The same day a farmer in Iwate region was scratched and bitten by a bear who walked up to his house accompanied by a cub.
One of the most brutal bear rampages saw Kiwi ultra-marathon runner Billy Halloran, 32, have his .
Billy had been out for a run in Japan when he was pounced on by a pair of 60kg bears.
One of the powerful beasts launched itself at the runner and gripped his arm in its jaws.
Billy was thrown to the ground as his arm shattered in the bears mouth.
The bear then gripped Billy’s calf muscle and left him with severe scratching and puncture wounds on his lower leg.
A bear spotted on the premises of the Hara Kei Memorial Museum in Morioka, IwateCredit: Getty
An upcoming gory Japanese horror film called Brown Bear! has even been axed due to the string of fatal attacksCredit: “Higuma!” production committee
A few weeks earlier, a Spanish tourist was attacked by a bear at a bus stop in the village of Shirakawa-go in central Japan.
Japan has two types of bear in the Asian black bears and the bigger brown bears.
One recent estimate puts the number of black bears on the Japanese isles at 44,000.
It is unclear the exact number of brown bears.
The recent string of bear attacks has even forced Japanese filmmakers to postpone the release of an upcoming gory horror called Brown Bear!.
The film features scenes showing a bear “attacking and eating” humans and was initially set to hit cinemas in Tokyo next month.
Producers announced on Friday the release is now going to be delayed.
They released a statement saying: “We take seriously the fact that there have been a series of real-life attacks.”
Japan has two types of bear in the Asian black bears, pictured, and the bigger brown bearsCredit: Getty
Japan’s government has announced plans to see specialist hunters deployed in public areas where bears are being sighted more and moreCredit: AFP 
