Japan stages unusual school bear drill after surge in attacks

Japanese authorities this week held an unusual emergency drill to prepare residents and schools for bear intrusions, after a sharp rise in attacks across the country. The exercise took place in Yaita, in Tochigi Prefecture north of Tokyo, and centered on an actor in a bear costume who simulated entering a school grounds.

During the drill, the fake bear crawled around the campus, approached buildings, and acted out an attack on a person. Police, local hunters, and emergency workers practiced several responses, including driving the bear away with firecrackers and other deterrents, using a specialized spray, and killing the animal if it posed an immediate danger.

At the end of the exercise, participants also rehearsed capturing or shooting the bear, while the costumed man lay on the ground and pretended to be dead. The drill was part of a broader government push to address the growing number of bear incursions into communities and public institutions.

Authorities said bear attack casualties reached a record 238 people in 2025, a figure that heightened public concern and prompted expanded preparedness drills nationwide.