Overview
- Japan’s Supreme Court Third Petty Bench held oral arguments on February 27 and scheduled its decision for March 27.
- The dispute stems from Hokkaido’s 2019 revocation of a hunter’s firearm permit after a 2018 Sunagawa City–requested shot that authorities deemed firing toward a building under wildlife law.
- Lower courts split: the Sapporo District Court voided the cancellation, while the Sapporo High Court later upheld it by emphasizing possible ricochet reaching nearby structures.
- The hunter argues bear culling is a public service and says the sanction chills participation in municipal operations, seeking restoration of his permit.
- Hokkaido contends the discharge was extremely dangerous because city staff and police were nearby and defends the revocation as appropriate; the legal backdrop includes a 2025 amendment creating an emergency shooting system for urban areas.