Bear attacks customers in Japanese supermarket

A bear invaded a Japanese supermarket Tuesday, October 07, 2025, attacking two elderly customers in the latest incident that has pushed the country's annual bear-related fatalities to a record high.

The 1.4-meter animal entered the Numata City store approximately 80 miles north of Tokyo, injuring a 76-year-old inside the building and a 69-year-old in the parking lot during the 7:30 p.m. local time encounter.

The non-fatal supermarket incident occurred amid an unprecedented surge in bear attacks across Japan, with official data confirming seven fatalities so far in 2025, the highest annual death toll since records began in 2006.

Earlier this month, two separate bear attacks proved fatal, while authorities discovered another body Wednesday in Iwate prefecture bearing claw marks consistent with bear injuries.

Experts attribute the increasing human-bear encounters to climate change disrupting traditional food sources, forcing the animals to venture into urban areas in search of sustenance.

The Numata store manager told Japanese media the bear appeared disinterested in food products, instead becoming agitated after finding itself trapped inside the supermarket before eventually escaping through the entrance.

The supermarket attack coincided with multiple other bear incidents reported Tuesday, including a farmer injured in Akita prefecture and a Spanish tourist wounded near the popular Shirakawa Village shuttle bus stop.

Japan's environment ministry has documented over 150 bear attacks during the first nine months of 2025, representing a 30% increase over the previous record set in 2023 as changing ecosystems continue pushing wildlife into human-occupied territories.