AKITA - As bear sightings continue at an unusually high pace across Akita Prefecture, a veteran wildlife photographer who has spent nearly 30 years observing and photographing Asian black bears says the animals are appearing more frequently, moving closer to human settlements, and increasingly adapting their behavior to survive.
Akemi Kato, a photographer based in Akita City, shared his observations during a radio program examining bear ecology and the growing number of bear-related incidents in the prefecture. Kato has spent nearly three decades documenting bears in the wild and published his work in a photo collection titled There Are Bears in Akita City.
His photographs capture rarely seen aspects of bear behavior, including large bears balancing on thin tree branches, cubs sleeping high in trees, and bears climbing with remarkable agility. To safely document the animals, Kato primarily uses telephoto lenses and photographs them from a distance.
"Because bears are wild animals, there is always danger involved," Kato said. "I want to record their everyday lives and understand what they eat and how they live."
Kato first encountered and photographed a bear around 30 years ago while waiting near a walnut grove after hearing reports from hunters. As evening fell, he spotted a dark shape emerging from the trees more than 200 meters away.
"Even at that distance, it was frightening," he recalled. "It was getting dark, there was nobody around, and I wondered if there might be other bears nearby."
Looking back over three decades of observation, Kato said the most significant change has been the increasing frequency of bear encounters. He believes bears are now entering villages and urban areas more often and, rather than simply passing through, are remaining there to feed.
He noted that even in the early 2000s bears were often seen around settlements, but rarely entered them. Today, that situation has changed dramatically.
Kato describes the relationship as one of "neighboring coexistence," emphasizing that people must understand bear behavior while maintaining a safe distance from the animals.
Another major change he has witnessed is the rapid expansion of wild boars in Akita. The first boar captured in the prefecture was recorded in southern Akita during the winter of 2012, and sightings have since spread northward. Kato now frequently captures boars on camera in areas where they were previously absent.
He believes interactions between bears and boars could become an important issue in the future because the two species often compete for the same foods, including beechnuts, acorns, and certain plants.
While filming bears feeding on skunk cabbage in the Futatsui area this past May, Kato witnessed a sudden encounter between a bear and a boar. The bear reacted with a loud cry and leaped away before fleeing the area. In another incident captured by a trail camera last October, a bear feeding in a chestnut grove disappeared into the brush when a boar approached. Kato said the footage gave him the impression that bears may actively avoid encounters with boars.
Tracking bears requires careful study of both their signs and food sources, Kato explained. He looks for broken branches, footprints, and seasonal feeding habits, noting that bears often change the way they consume the same food depending on the time of year.
In recent years, he has also observed bears feeding on a growing variety of human-related food sources, including apples, grapes, persimmons, rice, and buckwheat. During poor mast years, when natural food sources are scarce, bears increasingly rely on crops and fruit trees near communities.
Kato said he first witnessed bears feeding on rice last year, while bears in southern Akita have become frequent visitors to buckwheat fields.
"They are very flexible," he said. "They may not want to eat these foods originally, but they have to in order to survive."
During food shortages, Kato has observed bears using entire villages as feeding grounds, moving between persimmon trees, chestnut trees, walnut trees, and other food sources. He said such experiences demonstrate both the animals' desperation and their strong ability to learn from successful feeding opportunities.
This year, however, Kato expects a strong beech nut crop, a key food source for bears. He observed abundant blossoms in the spring and large numbers of developing nuts during recent field checks. If conditions remain favorable, he believes the crop will be plentiful.
While abundant food in the mountains generally reduces bear appearances around people during autumn, Kato noted that good food years can also contribute to population growth and increased reproduction.
Although he stressed that he is a photographer rather than a researcher, Kato said the number of bears he encounters today is noticeably higher than in the past.
Akita continues to record some of Japan's highest numbers of bear sightings, captures, injuries, and bear-related incidents. Kato believes the growing presence of bears in residential areas, combined with changes affecting other large wildlife species such as wild boars, represents a significant challenge.
To reduce the risk of bear attacks, Kato emphasized the importance of avoiding encounters whenever possible. He recommends making noise while in bear habitat and remaining calm if a bear is encountered.
"If you suddenly run away after seeing a bear 20 or 30 meters away, that may be the most dangerous thing you can do," he said.
Kato carries bear spray whenever he is in the field, although he has never needed to use it. More important than any equipment, he said, is understanding the animal itself.
"I think the key is to know bears," he said. "The better we understand them, the better prepared we are to respond calmly."
Kato will present a lecture on bear behavior and ecology on July 25 in his hometown of Misato, Akita Prefecture. Using photographs and video footage collected over many years, he will explain the annual cycle and habits of bears. A photo exhibition featuring his work will also open on July 25 at the town's cultural center.
Source: ABS秋田放送
