The northern Tohoku region has seen a rise in bear attacks amid a scarcity of food the animals typically eat before they hibernate, prompting authorities to urge the public to avoid leaving garbage or food outdoors.
On Thursday, a 75-year-old woman from Hachimantai, Iwate Prefecture, died after being attacked by a bear while she was picking mushrooms with her 79-year-old husband in a mountainous area of the neighboring city of Kazuno. The husband, who tried to protect his wife, also sustained injuries to his head and his hand and was taken to a hospital in the city of Morioka.
In Kitaakita, Akita Prefecture, five people including a 16-year-old girl were attacked by a bear on Thursday morning, with an 83-year-old suffering a broken shoulder and arm.