Name: U.S. issues travel warning for Japan as country deals with spike in bear attacks
Uploaded: 2025-11-19T07:08:30.000Z
Duration: 3 min 43 s
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Get this. The US has issued a travel advisory for Japan following a string of deadly bear attacks.

The country has reported more than a dozen deaths so far this year.

NBC News correspondent Marquise Francis has warned the countrywide effort to try and protect residents and tourists.

A grisly warning to tourists in Japan as the country deals with a surge in bear attacks.

According to Japan's public broadcasting network, a record 220 people have been injured since April.

Officials say at least 13 people killed, seven of those deaths in October alone.

As the animals prepare for hibernation, bear population has increased dramatically in Japan.

I mean, there are now, I believe over 40,000 Asiatic black bears throughout Japan.

Bears have been spotted in populated areas across the northern part of the country,

including inside this supermarket and outside a nursery school.

As that population increases, combined with the population of people increasing and going into these habitats, you're going to have these conflicts.

The US, the UK and China all issuing travel advisories to their citizens, with the bears also spotted in places frequented by travelers.

A bear cub killed by authorities after breaking into a hot spring resort in the Owate Prefecture.

In the airport, they are briefly forced to ground flights after this sighting on the Runway.

In Japan's historic Shirakawa Village, visitors carrying bear bells,

and warning signs [were] posted everywhere after a tourist from Spain was attacked at the UNESCO-listed site.

So we're actually asking tourists to actually do not litter anything, you know, like pick up all the trash and take it other things is that we actually going to hunt the bear.

Bear deterrence now a top priority for Japan.

Armed with bear spray and shields, troops from the country's Self Defense Force are helping capture the animals.

Hunting drones that emit barking sounds deployed over an area in central Japan's Haida City.

And in September, Japan amended a wildlife law to allow emergency hunting by civilians.

And while the bear's hibernation season is right around the corner, officials in Japan say it's a risk they cannot ignore.

We are not going to let that things happen again.

Marquis, we are used to hearing about bear territory, you know, for hikers and things like that in the US.

Walk us through some reminders for people who are visiting Japan and what they should carry on them and be aware of.

I mean, just last week, the US State Department is warning US visitors to the region that there was a bear sighting at a park across from the US Consulate in Sapporo.

And they're really urging Americans to follow these helpful tips.

They're pretty straightforward but I'm going to pull up a full screen.

They're saying, number one, avoid the area or walking alone in areas of bear sightings.

And three, report sightings to local authorities.

And whether it's in Japan or the US, I think right now we're on how to prevent a bear attack.

the expert in that piece is saying, these are some of the things you can do and I'll pull them up once again.

Make a lot of noise, make yourself big, never turn your back and run, and never, ever feed a bear.

He added that bears are actually not inherently violent or malicious.

Of course, Vicki, you and I don't want to run into a bear. - No, we did not.