Akita Prefecture is considering asking for the deployment of Self-Defense Forces troops following a spate of bear attacks across the prefecture, Gov. Kenta Suzuki said on Sunday.

In a social media post, Suzuki also said he was planning to visit the Defense Ministry in Tokyo before long to make the request.

In the most recent incident on Friday, four people were attacked by a bear in the village of Higashinaruse, leaving one dead.

“The situation has gone beyond what the prefectural and municipal governments can handle,” Suzuki said.

Authorities in Japan are calling for exercising a high level of caution against bears as the autumn foliage season is about to start.

The number of deaths from bear attacks in the country in fiscal 2025, which started in April, stood at 10 as of Friday, the highest annual figure since data first became available in fiscal 2006. More than 100 people have been killed or injured so far in the current fiscal year.

Bears have been frequently spotted in the Tohoku region and other areas. The situation may worsen due to a poor harvest of beech nuts, a primary food for bears, and because the animals become active ahead of hibernation.

In Iwate Prefecture, more than 30 people have been killed or injured since April. On Monday, a body with wounds likely to have been made by a bear attack was found at residential premises in the prefecture. Police are trying to identify the body and the cause of death.