Travel

'Bear Spray' Rentals Rise

HOKKAIDO, Aug 25 (News On Japan) - The most effective option when you encounter a bear and are about to be attacked is bear spray. Using capsaicin, it is expected to slow the animal’s movements and help avert an attack.

In July 2024, a Tokyo-based company launched a bear-spray rental business headquartered in Makubetsu, Hokkaido. By reserving on the website, customers can have a can delivered to a designated hotel or rental-car outlet for 3,850 yen for one night and two days.

At the delivery hub Honami Marche, Fujiwara said, "We receive about two to three orders a day."

Shiraiwa, the company’s representative who lives in Tokyo, has been climbing in the Daisetsuzan range for about a decade and has encountered bears almost every year. For hikers coming from outside Hokkaido, he says purchasing bear spray is a hurdle. "When I tried to bring bear spray, I couldn’t take it on a plane. I had the same problem myself, and I thought many people were in the same situation, so I started this service," said Shiraiwa.

A single can costs roughly 10,000–20,000 yen, and carrying it on aircraft is prohibited, so demand for rentals is rising, especially among hikers from outside the prefecture. According to Shiraiwa, "When we started last year, total rentals were about 100 cans. This year, as of July 2025 we had already exceeded 100, and we currently have around 140 including reservations."

Rental offerings have also begun at a Hokkaido-based reuse chain. Since April 2025, the "Nandemo Recycle Big Bang" chain has offered rentals at 21 stores across Hokkaido and the Tohoku region. The fee is 1,000 yen for one night and two days, with an additional 500 yen for each extra night. To date there have been roughly 300 rentals, about 80% by customers from outside Hokkaido, with many borrowing from the Chitose store near the airport.

Bear-spray rentals are also available at visitor centers in Quasi-National Parks.

Bear spray does not guarantee safety, but hikers are urged to carry it as a precaution whenever heading into the mountains.

Source: HBCニュース　北海道放送

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