The Japan Timesのインスタグラム(thejapantimes) - 11月14日 16時48分

Boar, deer, macaques and even bears are among the many wild animals you may encounter in Japan — that is, if you’re out in the countryside. Two-thirds of the nation’s land mass is forested, after all.

However, there have been a spate of reports in recent months concerning various animal sightings — and even attacks — across towns and cities in Japan, the most frightening of which were perpetrated by bears in the northern Tohoku region, giving rise to the term “āban beā” (urban bear) as a result.

The term has become prevalent enough to be nominated as one of the year’s top buzzwords.

The urban bear phenomenon can be attributed to a variety of environmental factors such as warmer winters and seasonal fluctuations in available food. More concerning, though, is how a shrinking, graying population has led to a lack of hunters and a proliferation of abandoned farmland and deserted communities — all of which had previously acted to keep these animals at bay. Without them, the beasts have been encroaching deeper into urban areas and significantly raising the risk of violent, sometimes deadly, encounters.

“I’ve heard of wild boar sightings in the outskirts of Chiba, but never here in Chuo Ward,” said one resident of Chiba city. “What in the world is going on?” Read more with the link in our bio.

🎨: @chuanming_ong

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