How to responsibly interact with Japan’s Asiatic black bears

I was researching bears in Yellowstone, Montana when I first heard about Picchio Wildlife Research Centre from a field colleague. I’d always been keen to live in Japan and was especially interested in its conservation. The country has an abundance of wildlife and throughout history, people have been living alongside nature in all its forms. Picchio enabled me the opportunity to pursue this dream in Karuizawa, a town completely entwined with the surrounding forests and mountains, like many others in Japan, that enjoy this close, connected relationship.

When you visit Picchio, you’re under the guidance of a conservationist with years of experience working with black Asiatic bears. Our principal duty is to manage the contact between humans and bears by keeping the bears away from the more built-up areas, thus allowing them to coexist peacefully with local people. While here, you will see up close the ways in which we help ensure this harmonious coexistence, as well as have the opportunity to engage in actual fieldwork yourself.

The experience starts with a half-hour lecture introducing you to our work and our background with the bears. Then we take you on the road and out into the forest for the practical part of the demonstration. From checking the bear-proof dumpsters and barrel traps recycled from oil drums to processing research and conducting radio telemetry (a number of the bears are equipped with radio collars to monitor their movements), you are encouraged to throw yourself into the experience.

You will also get to meet our lovely  Karelian ‘bear dogs,’ dogs that track and deter the bears from town. I personally love it when these dogs make their appearance and how excited people become – they’re really friendly and people are often surprised by this. They deserve all the attention they can get!