Bears kill seven people in Japan this year as attacks hit record high

Bears kill seven people in Japan this year as attacks hit a record high, with incidents surging in autumn before hibernation. Experts link climate change affecting beech nut yields to bears targeting residential areas. With fatalities in northeastern regions and Hokkaido, the environmental ministry reports the highest death toll since 2006. The recent attacks in Iwate and Gunma highlight the rising number of bear encounters, including a bear entering a supermarket in Numata.