Bear-proof emergency shelters have become a hit in Japan as the number of attacks reaches a record high with over a dozen people killed.
The shelters, known as Kumacon units and developed by a local company called Jacacon, were announced in Tokyo, Japan, on 11th November, with orders scheduled to open in December.
The surge in interest follows a series of bear encounters and attacks recorded across Japan this year.
Government data showed that 196 bear attack victims had been reported nationwide between April and October, a record high for the same period in the past five years.
As of 5th November, 13 fatalities had been recorded since April, also a record high.
Authorities said October alone saw 88 victims, more than double the 39 recorded in September, with Akita Prefecture reporting the highest number of cases, followed by Iwate and Fukushima.
The increase in incidents also led the government to bolster countermeasures, including offering financial and logistical support for municipalities to employ licensed hunters amid a nationwide shortage of skilled personnel.
Amended rules allowing police officers to use rifles to kill bears came into effect on 14th November.
The Japanese Self-Defence Forces were also enlisted to assist local governments, setting large traps and transporting captured bears in Akita Prefecture.
Personnel are equipped with shields, bear repellent, and protective gear, but are not authorised to shoot or kill bears.
In response to rising concerns, Jacacon unveiled its Kumacon shelters, which are redesigned shipping containers created to withstand physical aggression from brown bears.
The company said the bite force of a brown bear is estimated at around 7 MPa, while the steel used to construct standard shipping containers can withstand up to 350 MPa.
The structures were also designed to tolerate over 192 tonnes of impact.
The shelters are available in three sizes: 12 feet (3.7 metres or 12.1 feet), 20 feet (6.1 metres or 20 feet), and 40 feet (12.2 metres or 40 feet).
Each unit includes solar energy storage, USB power outlets, a toilet, a ventilation system, emergency food rations for three days, bottled drinking water, first aid kits, and bear repellent spray.
Optional upgrades include motion and infrared sensors, flashing strobe lights, and a public address microphone that can be used to attempt to scare bears away.
Jacacon, which specialises in repurposing shipping containers for storefronts and lodging, said it hopes the Kumacon will serve as “a new form of disaster-preparedness infrastructure” to protect people at home, at educational facilities, and at campgrounds.
The company also said the shelters can protect users during natural disasters, although they should not be used as a substitute for evacuation orders from local authorities.
Prices had not yet been announced, but the company said customers would be able to place orders starting in December, with installations expected before spring when bears emerge from hibernation.
Local governments have launched a “bear appearance map” available in Japanese and English to warn residents and tourists about high-risk zones.
Drones equipped with loudspeakers are also being deployed to broadcast warnings and play dog barks or firecracker sounds to drive bears away from populated areas.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government would take “necessary measures one after another with a sense of urgency” to protect residents.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below. Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: newsX
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