The Japanese army is deployed to protect cities after attacks by "bears".

 

The Japanese army

The Japanese army is deployed to protect cities after attacks by "bears".

The Japanese government has deployed regular army troops to help local authorities protect cities after bear packs attacked various locations in Japan.
Multiple press reports seen by Al-Arabiya.net stated that since last April, more than 100 bear attacks have been recorded across Japan, in which 12 people were killed. Two-thirds of these deaths occurred in Akita Prefecture, located on Japan’s largest island, Honshu, according to the Japanese Ministry of the Environment.

The town of Kazuno is located in this area, where residents have been warned and asked to avoid the dense surrounding forests, stay indoors after dark, and be urged to scare the bears away by carrying a bell.
The government relaxed gun control rules last September to enable hunters to more effectively confront urban bears.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato confirmed that further emergency measures will be implemented later this month to help address the problem, such as recruiting more licensed fishermen.
Shinji Sasamoto, the mayor of Kazuno, who met with the soldiers who arrived in the town, spoke about the impact of the bear attacks on the residents. He added, "The town's residents feel threatened every day."

He continued: "This has affected people's lifestyles, forcing them to stop going out or cancel events."
Last week, the governor of Akita Prefecture requested assistance from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, given the significant increase in bear activity, which has increased sixfold this year to more than 8,000 attacks.

The Japanese government says the soldiers will not be killing the bears themselves, as that task is entrusted to trained hunters who have special weapons. Instead, the soldiers will help transport and set up box traps used to catch the bears.
After Kazuno, the soldiers will continue to carry out this mission in the cities of Odate and Kitakita until the end of this month.

It is noted that there are two types of bears in Japan: the Japanese black bear and the Hokkaido brown bear. The Japanese black bear is smaller (it can weigh up to 130 kg), has black fur and round ears, and lives on the main island of Honshu, and some also live on Shikoku.
The Hokkaido brown bear is large in size, as it is considered one of the largest types of brown bears, weighing up to 400 kg. In fact, it is the largest wild animal in Japan, and it lives on the northern island of Hokkaido.