Welcoming a record 36 million international visitors in 2024 and 21.5 million thus far in the first half of 2025, the Asian nation of Japan’s tourism industry growth surpasses that of almost every other country in the world.
Earlier this fall, lawmakers in Okinawa Prefecture responded to the spike in visitor numbers by voting in an additional tax on stays in local hotels, inns, and short-term rental accommodations. These funds will support preservation of popular natural sites.
Larger cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto began charging a similar tourist tax earlier in the year.
While more remote parts of Japan continue to attract millions from around the world precisely for these areas’ serenity and safety, the U.S. State Department has now targeted several natural sites and more remote locations with a travel advisory.
The Nov. 12 travel alert draws attention to the fact that Hokkaido and Akita Prefectures in the north of the country have seen a recent increase in bear attacks.
According to the Japanese Ministry of Environment, the 196 bear interactions recorded in the country through October 2025 mark a new record. October brought the bulk of these numbers, with 88 attacks.
“Bear sightings and attacks have increased in parts of Japan, especially in municipalities close to or adjacent to populated zones,” the travel alert sent out by the U.S. Embassy in alert reads. “In Sapporo, authorities closed Maruyama Park, which is adjacent to the U.S. Consulate General, for two weeks following a bear sighting.”
Related: National parks see string of bear attacks
Japan is home to both brown bears and Asian black bears, commonly called Moon bears. As local environments see the effects of climate change, both species have struggled to find their usual sources of food and have wandered outside their traditional territories in ways that sometime turn fatal for humans.
Between April and October, 13 people in Japan were been killed by bears. In some cases, they attacked people not just in nature, but also in supermarkets, at bus stops, and at a popular hot springs resort in Kitakami, in an incident that left one worker mutilated.
In response to the rise in bear attacks, Japan dispatched the army to several regions in the north part of the country. So far, mitigation measures have included setting traps and then transporting bears away in trucks, as well as using bear spray to fend off any attacks.
Bears are most active in fall, and while the army is helping ward off some immediate attacks, the problem is accelerating faster than local authorities can handle.
