Japan is currently experiencing a huge increase in bear encounters and has found a way to capitalize on this issue by creating an emerging food trend based on bears. Sounds crazy, but true!
Oh no! Bears have invaded your neighborhood?
Japan is experiencing a large number of new bear encounters every month. Bears are coming down from the mountains into neighbourhoods, schools, and even shopping areas. It has gotten to the point that there have been deaths caused by bear attacks. Due to the serious turning point in bear contact rates and deaths caused by bear attacks, Japanese authorities have announced swift action to control the problem.
Here’s the surprising twist! All of a sudden, bear meat is trending!
In Chichibu, a hilly city just outside of Tokyo, one restaurant owner has reported that due to the overwhelming number of customers seeking grilled bear meat, he has had to take several measures to accommodate his customers. Koji Suzuki owns a small, family-owned and operated restaurant that was once known for its unique traditional dish: grilled bear meat. Over the last few months, grilled bear meat has become the most popular dish on his menu! The restaurant also serves other types of game meats such as venison and wild boar but none have as large of a following as bear meat.
What Causes The Increased Interest?
Suzuki believes that media’s promotion of bears roaming into human habitats to wreak havoc creates an ever-growing hunger within people for experience points through bear meat consumption.
He considers it a sensible use of bear meat killed for the purposes of population control rather than letting it go to waste. Therefore, bear meat has become a precious commodity.
Now Not Just For Locals
The growing interest for this unique offering is not just coming from people who live in the area. Now, tourists and others living in cities well beyond the local area have begun to experience bear meat and are lining up at Suzuki’s door to do so.
Chieko, Suzuki’s wife, who helps run the family restaurant, tells me that on more than one occasion, they have had to turn people away because of the overwhelming amount of business they are receiving.
One customer, Takaaki Kimura, a 28-year-old composer who had never eaten bear meat until he came to the restaurant with his friends, describes his experience as very memorable, sitting around a hot stone grill and a bubbling pot of broth, enjoying every minute of his experience.
He states that the bear meat was incredibly moist and flavorful; in fact, the more he chewed on it, the better it tasted, which is contrary to what one would think of when they hear the term bear meat.
Though it may seem surprising to some, eating bear meat is not a contemporary trend in Japan. It has been part of the culinary traditions of many remote mountain communities for many years, but has not typically been consumed regularly, only occasionally.
What distinguishes today’s circumstances from those of previous generations is the nature of this growing phenomenon. As a result of the increasing number of bear encounters and as the bear population continues to increase, this long standing tradition is being re-examined by contemporary Japanese society.
The Japanese Government’s Intervention
The Japanese Government has recognized an opportunity presented by an increased bear population. Government officials believe that providing avenues for harvesting the bear population would benefit and revitalize rural economies within Japan.
To that end, the Japanese Government has established a large budget and will utilize funding to support efforts aimed at managing the bear population, enabling controlled hunting and encouraging responsible consumption. The primary objective would be to reduce the risk of bear encounter while developing acceptable economic value added for rural areas that may be struggling economically.
Why Has the Bear Population Increased?
Several reasons have been identified as contributing to the increase in bear numbers by researchers. The increase of barrier densities leading to the historical decline of rural villages and breaks in acorns have forced some bears to seek alternative sources of food and, thus, moving closer to humans.
To address these trends, various governmental agencies have assigned personnel to bear mitigation programs, provided transportation support and engaged in multiple riot police interventions during the last two years, resulting in thousands of bears having been captured and/or euthanized.
The city versus nature dichotomy is at the heart of Japan’s culture, but this balance is not always maintained. As such, there are times when nature overwhelms people. For example, when wildlife and humans began to interact increasingly with a growing crisis in bears, this resulted in a culinary revolution.
While the crisis with bears began as a crisis to protect people from being harmed by bears, it ultimately transformed the way we consume food in many regions across Japan. Bears were considered to be a minor part of Japanese culture before this crisis, however, today, they are an important part of many people’s diet. Although most people do not expect to see a bear in a restaurant or a supermarket, it has become a part of how we live our daily lives.
