what kind of bears live in japan

Japan has two native kinds of bears: the Japanese (Asian) black bear and the Ussuri/Ezo brown bear.

Main bear species in Japan

• Japanese black bear (a subspecies of the Asian black bear, sometimes called Japanese black bear specifically) lives mainly on Honshu and parts of Shikoku, in forested and mountain areas.

• Ussuri/Ezo brown bear (a type of brown bear closely related to grizzlies) is found almost exclusively on the northern island of Hokkaido.

Quick facts

• Black bears are smaller, have a dark coat with a pale crescent or “V” on the chest, and are the only bears on Japan’s main island Honshu.

• Brown bears are larger, considered more dangerous, and are Japan’s biggest land animals, concentrated in Hokkaido’s mountains and forests.

Simple HTML table

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<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Bear species</th>
      <th>Where they live</th>
      <th>Main islands</th>
      <th>Notable traits</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Japanese (Asian) black bear</td>
      <td>Forests and mountains</td>
      <td>Honshu, parts of Shikoku</td>
      <td>Smaller, dark fur, pale chest crescent</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Ussuri/Ezo brown bear</td>
      <td>Mountain forests, rivers, remote areas</td>
      <td>Hokkaido</td>
      <td>Larger, grizzly‑like, Japan’s biggest land animal</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.