1. Bears are increasingly encroaching urban areas in Japan, causing damage and attacks, with a record 13 fatalities this fiscal year.
2. In the Yamagata prefecture, a bear entered an inn on Friday, damaging the interior and forcing the owners to flee. The animal was later shot under an emergency order by local hunters.
3. Experts suggest that the bears are likely hungry due to a shortage of their primary food source, acorns, this autumn, causing them to roam wider areas in search of food. This year's crop of beech nuts in northeastern Japan has been particularly poor.