Law Reforms and Human–Wildlife Conflicts in the Living Communities in a Depopulating Society: A Case Study of Habituated Bear Management in Contemporary Japan

Human–wildlife conflicts can be broadly categorized from the perspective of human activities into conflicts (a) caused by the expansion of human activities into wildlife habitats, and (b) resulting from the re-expansion of wildlife habitats due to the decline of human activities. The first type of conflict has been managed through the systematic training of wildlife managers, field specialists, and well-organized institutional frameworks. In Japan, Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) and brown bears (Ursus arctos) have increasingly come into human contact because of habitat re-expansion. Short-term measures to protect human life and property include the implementation of the 2024 and 2025 revisions of the Wildlife Protection and Hunting Management Act, which designated bears as “managed wildlife” and “dangerous wildlife” and permitted emergency culling in residential areas. However, Japan’s approach remains limited in scope and depth, relies on ad hoc responses by local hunters, and lacks adequate public education and effective long-term sustainability planning. This study highlights the necessity of a multi-layered policy framework that integrates human–wildlife conflict management, particularly human–bear conflict, by comparing U.S. laws and policies and incorporating them into medium- and long-term strategies for community resilience and national land conservation. This approach may serve as a model for countries and regions facing similar demographic and ecological challenges.