A poster in Tokyo warns residents that the metropolitan area is also home to bears, and that sightings have increased dramatically across the country. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes)
A Russian man was mauled by a bear on a trail near the home of U.S. Forces Japan in western Tokyo over the weekend, according to Japanese officials.
The hiker was walking alone near Mount Minokido, 25 miles west of Yokota Air Base, when the animal attacked shortly before noon on Sunday, Okutama town announced in a news release that day.
Officials have closed part of a trail and advised hikers to avoid the area, the release said.
The bear bit the hiker on his left cheek and clawed his left shoulder, an official from the town’s tourism and industry division told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday.
Police and hunters are patrolling the area and set up traps, but they have not captured the bear, the official said.
The victim was not carrying a bell, which Japanese hikers commonly wear to deter bears, the official said.
Some Japanese government officials must speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.
The man was airlifted to a hospital and his condition was not life-threatening, public broadcaster NHK reported Sunday. The victim is in his 30s, according to the Asahi Shimbun.
The town’s website advises people to not hike alone and to carry something that makes noise, such as a bell or a radio. Hikers should also take their trash home.
The last bear attack in Okutama was in August when a man was mauled while fishing in the Tama River, the official said.
There have been 38 bear sightings or indications in April and May in Okutama, up from 28 cases during those months last year, the official said.
Nearby areas such as Hinohara village and Hachioji city have also reported more bear sightings, he said.
Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force was mobilized in November to help address bear threats in northern parts of the country.
The rare deployment followed a surge in encounters nationwide that left 13 people dead and more than 200 injured in the past Japanese fiscal year, which ended March 31, according to the country’s Ministry of Environment.
Experts have attributed the rise in bear encounters to factors including expanding forest areas, declining food sources, shrinking rural populations and fewer hunters.
Japan is home to two species of bears, the Japanese black bear and the larger Ussuri brown bear. Black bears typically stand about 5 feet tall and weigh just over 200 pounds, though adult males can be significantly heavier. Brown bears, found only on Hokkaido, can weigh as much as 880 pounds.
