In the second half of 2023, there were countless reports of bear attacks in Japan. The rise in incidents was due mainly to a poor crop of acorns, which are a major part of the animals’ diet in autumn. But many other factors are involved, including an aging and shrinking human population in the areas where bears live. Many are opposed to the idea of indiscriminate culling, but is it really possible for human beings and bears to coexist peacefully?