Police: Japan man killed by son, not by bear attack

Tokyo: Police in northern Japan say a 93-year-old man initially believed to have been killed by a bear was in fact stabbed to death by his son, in a case that has gripped a region already on edge over rising bear encounters.

Fujiyuki Shindo, 51, was arrested in Akita prefecture on Tuesday for allegedly murdering his father, Fujiyoshi, local media reported. Police said the victim’s wife discovered him collapsed and bleeding at their home. Authorities at first issued a public warning about a possible bear attack before retracting it after investigators determined the wounds were caused by a knife, not an animal, BBC reported.

Knives seized

Shindo, who lived with his parents, initially told police he had not noticed anything unusual at home around the time of the incident, according to Kyodo News. Investigators have seized several knives from the family residence and are working to determine which one was used, Jiji Press reported. Police have not disclosed a possible motive.

The misidentification of the death as a bear attack reflects Japan’s growing anxieties over the animals. Bear sightings have surged in northern regions, where shrinking farmland and ageing rural populations have reduced barriers between people and wildlife. In the 12 months to March 2024, a record 219 people were attacked by bears, six of whom died, according to the Environment Ministry.

Bear attack

Earlier this summer, a newspaper deliveryman was killed by a brown bear in a residential area. Authorities have responded by loosening hunting rules, leading to thousands of bears being trapped and killed.

The latest fatality underscored the scale of the challenge. On Friday, officials confirmed that a hiker in his 20s had died after being dragged into the forest by a wild brown bear on Mount Rausu, on the northern island of Hokkaido. Local media reported that he tried to fight off the animal but suffered severe bleeding before being pulled into the woods. He was found the following afternoon and taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Hunters later captured and killed a bear near the trail, local officials told AFP.

Japan remains one of the few countries where large mammals like brown bears are reclaiming territory. While conservationists view this as an environmental success, biologists warn that as the bear population grows, authorities will have to balance protecting people and infrastructure — including airports — with preserving the animals’ natural habitats.