By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-06-18 08:01:51 | Updated at 2026-06-18 13:46:53
5 hours ago
TOKYO – The Tokyo metropolitan government plans to use advanced technologies developed by startups to prevent damage caused by bears, which have been spotted in the Tama region one after another recently.
The plan was unveiled on June 17, in a response to a question posed by metropolitan assembly member Toshimitsu Tamura of the Liberal Democratic Party during an assembly session.
The government’s Environment Bureau said the metropolitan government would exchange opinions with startups that develop technologies for bear control and devise methods to detect the animals early on or ward them off. Some startups are developing an AI system that detects bears from camera footage, while others use sound and light to ward them off.
A government official said priority management of riverbanks was necessary to prevent bears from moving along rivers, through such means as identifying potential routes into urban areas and cutting overgrown vegetation where bears might hide.
Tokyo will lift the ban on bear hunting from next fiscal year and formulate a medium- to long-term management plan following discussions within the advisory council.
The council is scheduled to submit its final report by the end of March 2027. THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
