> Scientists speculated that the uptick in attacks has been driven by a growing bear population, coupled with the year's bad acorn harvest, USA TODAY previously reported. These conditions created an area "overcrowded with hungry bears," driving the large animals to populated areas in search of food.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2026/05/13/super-m...

Perhaps, because there are less people living in the rural areas, the bears are emboldened to roam more freely, thus increasing the frequency of encounters with the human occupiers.

But then it’s stated oddly. It’s more like bears are encroaching on human territory rather than people expanding into bear territory.

See also headlines that refer to “shark infested waters” instead of “human infested waters”.

Eh, I don't think there is much active encroachment happening any longer. Japan is no longer growing into its rural areas so much as receding from them.

Also, under certain constructions of the word "territory," (including the legal one) all territory in Japan is human territory. The bears are allowed to live on some of it but it is at the sufferance of the Japanese people.

Not just perhaps, this is the prevailing theory here.

the fact that young people are moving has meant that money, attention and labor is missing, these days in rural sections of aging and developed countries the expertise and interest in forestry or wildlife management simply isn't there any more. I spent a few months in rural Japan a few years ago and it affected all kinds of jobs. Agriculture, pest control, or even much more mundane repair work. I knew a couple that moved there enticed by low property prices but they had to wait months to get the roof fixed.

People living in rural areas were capable of fixing most of their houses by themselves. When I grew up I spent most summers in a mountain village where people were self-resilient, I had all sorts of woodworking tools in the shed and other than electricity there was nothing my grandpa was not fixing himself and it was the same for all our neighbours.

Now a couple moving from a city to a rural area needs to learn to do this work or not move to a village. The population decline in most places makes it clear that availability of services is only going to get worse.

> had to wait months to get the roof fixed.

In economic theory, that's an obvious business opportunity.

In the real world.., might you know what barriers a small roofing repair business would face in rural Japan?

It's hard work. It's dangerous. Many areas get heavy snowfall in the winter which interferes with work. Summers are brutally hot. Many customers in rural areas are living on fixed income, so you are limited in how much you can charge. Commutes to job sites can be long.

My roof was damaged in heavy snowfall this winter and I needed to wait 3 months to get it repaired. And I'm not even really in a rural area. The guy who did the repairs looked to be in his 60s - I don't think many young people are looking to get into this business.

I think most contractors would do better in more densely populated areas where lots of new construction is happening.

The barriers are that none of your customers have any money, and nobody wants to do the work for the prices the customers can afford.

That's what life in an economically declining/dying area is like.