Overview
- In Akita, a man in his 20s was bitten on the face and limbs while working in a field and returned home before being taken to hospital conscious and not in life-threatening condition; witnesses say the roughly one‑metre bear fled and local teams are patrolling the area.
- In Nagano, a local hunting association found a roughly one‑metre bear caught in a trap and a 55‑year‑old member fired a shotgun to dispatch the animal, which was reported killed during the operation.
- An 81‑year‑old hunting‑association member near the Nagano scene suffered a left‑shoulder injury and was transported to hospital conscious, and police are probing whether the wound was caused by the hunter's shot.
- Both incidents drew on-site responses from local hunting‑association members and fire departments that are carrying out patrols and coordinating with municipal authorities to protect residents and farmland.
- The cases highlight practices used to protect crops, such as setting traps by hunting associations, and raise questions about operational safety and the outcome of the police inquiry in Nagano.