The bears are disrupting our national infrastructure now.

This year’s spate of bear attacks really has been unlike any other year before it, and frightening incidents seem to be reported on a daily basis. Still, these incidents are largely limited to the rural areas of Japan, so for the majority living in the nation’s urban areas is easy to keep thinking of it as someone else’s problem.

But now the problem has grown so large that effects are starting to be felt by people all over the country and maybe even beyond. Japan Post recently announced that it will restrict its courier service Yu-Pack in areas where bears were sighted. To give a sense of what Japan Post is trying to protect their drivers from, here’s recently captured dashboard cam video of a bear attacking a rancher’s car in Hokkaido.

That person was lucky to have been in a vehicle at the time, but a lot of Japan Post workers use mopeds for deliveries, which would offer little protection from what we just saw. So, in areas where a bear was sighted, moped deliveries will be suspended after 5 p.m., and depending on the details, other services may also be suspended. Couriers may also start using homes’ and businesses’ driveways or other parking areas to minimize their time outside of vehicles.

The announcement was also posted on social media, where it’s easier to see the irony that the Yu-Pack service’s mascot is a bear named Posukuma.

Despite the inconveniences it might create, readers of the announcement were overwhelmingly in favor of Japan Post’s decision, saying that people’s safety is more important than packages.

“This puts bears on the same level as a blizzard or typhoon.”
“Safety first. Don’t take unnecessary risks.”
“Those little bikes don’t stand a chance against a bear.”
“Other companies will probably do the same thing. It’s hurting the logistics industry.”
“I knew it was a big problem, but not this big.”
“People’s lives always come first. Please be safe.”
“They should give them all Mad Max cars.”
“It’s not just couriers either. Food delivery, salespeople, and care workers all need to be extra careful.”
“It’s the right call.”

Luckily, the bears will eventually go into hibernation, and the postal service disruptions should go away with it. However, this especially warm autumn may be pushing the animal’s hibernation time back, and once the spring returns so too will the risks, so this will only be a brief respite.

Unfortunately, as Japan’s rural population continues to dwindle, and as rising temperatures affect the bear’s natural food supply, causing them to venture further in search of it, there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Even measures like calling in the military feel like temporary solutions to a more deeply ingrained problem that will only continue to get worse if not dealt with properly.

Source: Japan Post, Twitter/@yupack_official
Top image: Pakutaso
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