Bear scare in Akita

A village near Kita-Akita and Ani districts close to forests shared by humans and bears, in Akita prefecture, northern Japan. Residents in northern Akita are on edge after a surge in bear attacks, prompting the deployment of riot police and the army. — Kentaro Takahashi/The New York Times

IT was a crisp autumn morning in Japan’s northern Akita region, and residents were on edge.

Commuters – some wearing bells, others carrying cans of repellent spray – walked cautiously down leaf-strewn streets.