Japan reports suspected bear attack fatality in Iwate
A woman’s body was found in Japan’s northeastern Iwate Prefecture on Tuesday, shortly after a police officer was injured in a bear attack nearby, authorities reported, Qazinform News Agency learned from Kyodo.
If confirmed as a fatal bear attack, it would mark Japan’s first such death since November 3 in Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture, according to the Environment Ministry.
In 2025, bears killed 13 people nationwide. Between July and October alone, five fatalities occurred in Iwate, four of them in October, ministry data show.
The incident unfolded Tuesday morning in Shiwa, where a 56‑year‑old police officer encountered a bear at a stream while searching for a missing person. He sustained injuries to his arm and face. A short distance away, the body of an adult woman was later found.
A hunter accompanying the search team shot and killed the female bear, which measured 1.3 meters in length and appeared to be an adult.
Police had been searching for the owner of a vehicle discovered late Monday with its engine still running on a roadside.