Asian black bear
Five black bear populations, occurring in Kyushu, Shikoku, West-Chugoku, East-Chugoku and Kii areas, were listed as endangered by the Environmental Agency in the Japanese Red Data Book in 1991. Small isolated populations in the Tanzawa and Shimokita areas of mainland Honshū were listed as endangered in 1995. Beyond recognising these populations as endangered, there is still a lack of efficient conservation methods for Japanese black bears.
Japanese black bear
The bears live on three Japanese islands: Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. They can be found in the northeastern high snow region and the southwestern low snow region however, they have been spotted as high as the alpine region more than 3,000 meters high. They tend to live in areas where there is an abundance of grasses and trees with berries to support their diet.