Japan is turning to artificial intelligence and surveillance technology to help protect communities as encounters between people and bears reach unprecedented levels.
The country recorded its worst year on record for bear attacks during fiscal 2025, with 13 people killed and 238 people injured in 216 reported incidents. Bear sightings also surged, according to data from Japan’s Environment Ministry.
The growing conflict has been particularly severe in rural and mountainous areas, where bears are increasingly entering neighborhoods, roads, schools and commercial areas in search of food.
Rather than relying solely on traditional patrols and emergency responses, some communities are turning to technology. Japan has begun deploying hundreds of cameras in areas where bear encounters are common, allowing authorities to monitor wildlife activity and better understand where bears are moving.
New AI-powered systems are also being developed to automatically recognize bears in camera footage and send alerts to officials. One newly announced service is designed to detect bears through existing surveillance cameras and provide rapid notifications to communities, schools, businesses and other locations.
The technology could give authorities valuable time to warn residents, close vulnerable facilities and organize wildlife response teams before a dangerous encounter occurs.
Experts say several factors may be contributing to the increase in human-bear encounters, including changing food supplies in forests, shrinking rural populations and abandoned farmland that has reduced the natural separation between wildlife habitats and communities.
Japan has also faced criticism over its heavy reliance on bear removal and culling. More than 14,000 bears were killed during permitted capture operations in fiscal 2025, according to reported government figures, while conservation groups have argued that long-term solutions should also focus on preventing encounters and managing habitats.
The use of AI cameras represents a different approach: detecting bears earlier and giving people an opportunity to respond before an encounter becomes an attack.
As bear activity continues to challenge communities across Japan, officials are increasingly looking toward technology, surveillance and faster warnings as tools that could help protect both people and wildlife.
