Japan has mobilised its military in the country’s mountainous north as communities grapple with a surge in bear attacks, with local authorities pointing to shifting food patterns driven by climate change as a possible factor. The self-defense forces (SDF) were deployed Wednesday to Kazuno, a small town in Akita Prefecture, after officials warned that residents faced daily threats from bears foraging near homes. According to Japan’s ministry of the environment, more than 100 bear attacks have been reported since April, leaving a record 12 people dead. Two-thirds of these fatalities occurred in Akita and nearby Iwate Prefecture. Bear sightings in Akita have risen six-fold this year, reaching over 8,000, prompting the prefectural governor to request military assistance. In Kazuno, soldie

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