On the 21st, Japanese police discovered a female body in Iwate Prefecture in the northeast region. Prior to finding the body, a police officer was injured in a bear attack in a nearby area.
Japanese police stated that on the morning of the 21st, a 56-year-old officer was searching for a missing person near a stream in Shiwa City when he encountered a bear and was attacked, resulting in injuries to his arm and face.
Authorities said that a hunter accompanying the search party shot and killed the bear. The bear was a female, 1.3 meters tall, and appeared to be an adult. The body of an adult woman was subsequently found near the site where the officer was attacked.
Japan's Ministry of the Environment said that if it is confirmed that the female victim died due to a bear attack, it would be the first fatal bear attack of 2026. The previous fatal bear attack occurred on November 3rd last year in neighboring Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture.
Throughout 2025, a total of 13 people died due to bear attacks in Japan. According to data from the Ministry of the Environment, between July and October last year, there were 5 deaths from bear attacks in Iwate Prefecture, with 4 cases occurring in October.