Japan to back AI and drones for bear tracking, Sasagawa says

Sasagawa's remarks come as bear-related incidents have risen, and he framed quick government action as a way to give the public "a sense of security." The support he described is aimed at municipalities, the level of government that makes the culling decisions under the emergency system he mentioned, so the policy's reach depends on local uptake rather than a national mandate.

He also tied the bear issue to staffing, saying the government needs to consider in the medium to long term how to secure personnel for bear-related work. That suggests the tools and the culling rules are only part of the response he has in mind, with people to operate them as a separate question.

Sasagawa, who took office in the Sept. 17 Cabinet reshuffle, extended the same interview to other files: promoting understanding of recycling decontamination soil from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, citing Fukushima Gov. Masao Uchibori's sense of crisis over the lack of details on final disposal outside the prefecture, and arguing decarbonization need not hinder economic growth. How far the bear measures move may hinge on whether municipalities take up the offer and on the personnel question he left open.