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{{Short description|Fatal bear attack in Japan, 1915}} |
{{Short description|Fatal bear attack in Japan, 1915}} |
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[[Image:Sankebetsu BrownBear01.png|thumb|350px|A reproduction of "Kesagake" (袈裟懸け). Note the helmet for scale.]] |
[[Image:Sankebetsu BrownBear01.png|thumb|350px|A reproduction of "Kesagake" (袈裟懸け). Note the helmet for scale.]] |
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The {{nihongo foot|'''Sankebetsu brown bear incident'''|三毛別羆事件|Sankebetsu higuma jiken|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}},<ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Laichtman |first1=David Aaron |title=Onikuma: The Sankebetsu Brown Bear Incident and Japanese Modernity |date=2020 |url=https://keep.lib.asu.edu/items/158287 }}</ref> also known as the {{nihongo foot|'''Rokusensawa bear attack'''|六線沢熊害事件|Rokusensawa yūgai jiken|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} or the {{nihongo foot|'''Tomamae brown bear incident'''|苫前羆事件|Tomamae higuma jiken|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}},<ref>{{cite book |last1=Knight |first1=John |editor-first1=John |editor-last1=Knight |chapter=Culling demons: the problem of bears in Japan |title=Natural enemies: people-wildlife conflicts in anthropological perspective |pages=145–169 |date=2000 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-22441-3 |doi=10.4324/9780203684221 }}</ref> was the most brutal [[bear]] attack in Japanese history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hkd.mlit.go.jp/zigyoka/z_doro/station/eng/newstation/tomamae/index.html|title=Fu Watto Tomamae|access-date=2008-06-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080620002804/http://www.hkd.mlit.go.jp/zigyoka/z_doro/station/eng/newstation/tomamae/index.html|archive-date=2008-06-20}}</ref> It took place from December |
The {{nihongo foot|'''Sankebetsu brown bear incident'''|三毛別羆事件|Sankebetsu higuma jiken|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}},<ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Laichtman |first1=David Aaron |title=Onikuma: The Sankebetsu Brown Bear Incident and Japanese Modernity |date=2020 |url=https://keep.lib.asu.edu/items/158287 }}</ref> also known as the {{nihongo foot|'''Rokusensawa bear attack'''|六線沢熊害事件|Rokusensawa yūgai jiken|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} or the {{nihongo foot|'''Tomamae brown bear incident'''|苫前羆事件|Tomamae higuma jiken|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}},<ref>{{cite book |last1=Knight |first1=John |editor-first1=John |editor-last1=Knight |chapter=Culling demons: the problem of bears in Japan |title=Natural enemies: people-wildlife conflicts in anthropological perspective |pages=145–169 |date=2000 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-0-415-22441-3 |doi=10.4324/9780203684221 }}</ref> was the most brutal [[bear]] attack in Japanese history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hkd.mlit.go.jp/zigyoka/z_doro/station/eng/newstation/tomamae/index.html|title=Fu Watto Tomamae|access-date=2008-06-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080620002804/http://www.hkd.mlit.go.jp/zigyoka/z_doro/station/eng/newstation/tomamae/index.html|archive-date=2008-06-20}}</ref> It took place from December 9–14, 1915. A [[Ussuri brown bear]] woke from [[hibernation]] and killed seven settlers while attacking several houses in [[Hokkaidō]], Japan.<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-22246-2_16 |chapter=Money, Myths and Man-Eaters: Complexities of Human–Wildlife Conflict |title=Problematic Wildlife |year=2016 |last1=Dickman |first1=Amy J. |last2=Hazzah |first2=Leela |pages=339–356 |isbn=978-3-319-22245-5 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xene.net/english/mis_01.htm|title=Higuma, King of the Forest|author=Carey Paterson|publisher=Xene|date=December 2001|access-date=2008-06-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Angelici|first1=Francesco|title=Problematic Wildlife: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach|date=December 18, 2015|publisher=[[Springer Publishing Company|Springer]]|isbn=978-3319222462|page=343|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S1c-CwAAQBAJ|access-date=19 March 2018}}</ref> |
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== Background == |
== Background == |
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At dawn in mid-November 1915, a [[Ussuri brown bear]] appeared at the Ikeda family's house in Sankebetsu Rokusen-sawa, about 11 |
At dawn in mid-November 1915, a [[Ussuri brown bear]] appeared at the Ikeda family's house in Sankebetsu Rokusen-sawa, about {{convert|11|km|mi}} inland from the west coast of Hokkaidō. The family horse was loudly spooked by the surprise encounter; the bear fled after taking only harvested corn. At the time, Sankebetsu was newly settled; so encroachment by wild animals was common.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}} |
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On November 20, 1915, the bear reappeared. Worrying about the safety of the horse,{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}} the head of the Ikeda family called on his second son, Kametarō, and two [[Matagi]] from his own village and a neighbouring village. |
On November 20, 1915, the bear reappeared. Worrying about the safety of the horse,{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}} the head of the Ikeda family called on his second son, Kametarō, and two [[Matagi]] from his own village and a neighbouring village. |
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When the bear reappeared on November 30, they |
When the bear reappeared on November 30, they shot at it, but failed to kill. The next morning, they followed the bear's footprints, which led towards {{nihongo|[[Mount Onishika]]|鬼鹿山|Onishika-yama}}. Along the trail the hunting party discovered bloodstains, but a snowstorm forced them to turn back. They believed that the bear, now injured, would fear humans and would no longer raid settlements.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}} |
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== December attacks == |
== December attacks == |
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==== Search ==== |
==== Search ==== |
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Early in the morning, Saitō Ishigorō and Miyoke Yasutarō left the village on |
Early in the morning, Saitō Ishigorō and Miyoke Yasutarō left the village on errands. Meanwhile, a thirty man search party was organized to capture the brown bear and recover the remains of Mayu.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}} Entering the forest no more than {{convert|150|m|yd}}, it met the bear. Five men shot, but only one managed to land a hit. The enraged animal retreated, sp the men escaped injury.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}} After the bear fled, the hunters scouted the area and discovered dried blood on the snow at the base of a [[Abies sachalinensis|Sakhalin fir tree]]. Beneath the snow was the corpse of Mayu with only the head and parts of the legs remaining. The bear had stashed the body of Mayu in the snow in an attempt to preserve it, as well as to hide it from scavengers: proof it was ''this'' brown bear in the attack. |
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==== Return to the Ōta farm ==== |
==== Return to the Ōta farm ==== |
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The villagers believed that once the bear had a taste for human flesh, its return to the settlement was assured. Villagers gathered at the Ōta family's home with guns. Around 8:00 p.m. that night, the bear reappeared. Although the villagers had anticipated the bear's return, they were nonetheless panicked by it. One man did manage to shoot at the bear. By the time the corps of 50 guardsmen posted 300 |
The villagers believed that once the bear had a taste for human flesh, its return to the settlement was assured. Villagers gathered at the Ōta family's home with guns. Around 8:00 p.m. that night, the bear reappeared. Although the villagers had anticipated the bear's return, they were nonetheless panicked by it. One man did manage to shoot at the bear. By the time the corps of 50 guardsmen posted {{convert|300|m|yd}} away at the neighboring Miyoke house arrived, the bear had vanished into the woods. The corps reassembled and headed downstream on what was thought to be the bear's trail. |
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==== Miyouke family ==== |
==== Miyouke family ==== |
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When news of the Ōta family attack was first received by the Miyouke family, women and children sought refuge there while guardsmen patrolled outside. The guardsmen were having dinner when news of the bear's return to the Ōta farm reached them, and they marched off. The bear, having escaped death at the Ōta house, now fled to the Miyouke homestead. |
When news of the Ōta family attack was first received by the Miyouke family, women and children sought refuge there while guardsmen patrolled outside. The guardsmen were having dinner when news of the bear's return to the Ōta farm reached them, and they marched off. The bear, having escaped death at the Ōta house, now fled to the Miyouke homestead. |
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Yayo, Miyouke Yasutarō's wife, was preparing a late meal while carrying her fourth son, Umekichi, on her back. She heard a rumbling noise outside, but before she could investigate, the bear broke through a window and entered the house. The cooking pot on the hearth |
Yayo, Miyouke Yasutarō's wife, was preparing a late meal while carrying her fourth son, Umekichi, on her back. She heard a rumbling noise outside, but before she could investigate, the bear broke through a window and entered the house. The cooking pot on the hearth overturned, dousing the flames, and in the ensuing panic the [[oil lamp]] was extinguished, plunging the house into darkness. Yayo tried to flee the house, but her second son, Yūjirō, clung to her legs, tripping her as she ran. The bear attacked her and bit Umekichi. |
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Odo had remained at the house as the only bodyguard. When he ran for the door, the bear released the mother and child to pursue him. Yayo then escaped with her children. Odo attempted to hide behind furniture but was clawed in the back. The bear then mauled Kinzō, the third son of the Miyouke family, and Haruyoshi, the fourth son of the Saito family, killing them, and bit Iwao, the third son of the Saitō family. Next to be targeted was Take, Saitō Ishigorō's pregnant wife. She too was attacked, killed, and eaten. From later testimony, villagers heard Take begging the bear not to touch her belly but instead to eat her head. Later the fetus was found alive from her corpse unharmed. |
Odo had remained at the house as the only bodyguard. When he ran for the door, the bear released the mother and child to pursue him. Yayo then escaped with her children. Odo attempted to hide behind furniture but was clawed in the back. The bear then mauled Kinzō, the third son of the Miyouke family, and Haruyoshi, the fourth son of the Saito family, killing them, and bit Iwao, the third son of the Saitō family. Next to be targeted was Take, Saitō Ishigorō's pregnant wife. She too was attacked, killed, and eaten. From later testimony, villagers heard Take begging the bear not to touch her belly but instead to eat her head. Later the fetus was found alive from her corpse unharmed. |
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=== December 12 === |
=== December 12 === |
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The news of the bear's appearance in Sankebetsu reached the [[Hokkaidō]] Government Office, and under the leadership of the Hoboro (now [[Haboro, Hokkaidō|Haboro town]]) branch police station, a sniper team was organized. Guns and volunteers for the team were gathered from nearby towns, and after getting permission from |
The news of the bear's appearance in Sankebetsu reached the [[Hokkaidō]] Government Office, and under the leadership of the Hoboro (now [[Haboro, Hokkaidō|Haboro town]]) branch police station, a [[sniper]] team was organized. Guns and volunteers for the team were gathered from nearby towns, and after getting permission from ''Teishitsu Rinya kyoku'' (the "Imperial Forestry Agency", now ''[[Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan)|Rin'ya chō]]'' 林野庁), the team went to Sankebetsu that evening. Chief Inspector Suga, the branch office commissioner, went up the Rokusen sawa with the aim of viewing the Miyoke family house and assessing the state of the sniper team and met all those who got off the mountain pass. |
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The brown bear did not appear on December 12. |
The brown bear did not appear on December 12. |
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Yamamoto was familiar with Kesagake's behavior and successfully tracked him down. Yamamoto spotted the bear resting near a [[oak|Japanese oak]]. He approached to within 20 meters of the bear and shot at it. His first shot hit the bear's heart and the second shot hit his head, fatally wounding the animal.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Joe |date=2022-06-27 |title='Creepy' amusement park paying homage to 9ft bear who killed seven sparks anger |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/creepy-amusement-park-paying-homage-27338678 |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=mirror |language=en}}</ref> |
Yamamoto was familiar with Kesagake's behavior and successfully tracked him down. Yamamoto spotted the bear resting near a [[oak|Japanese oak]]. He approached to within 20 meters of the bear and shot at it. His first shot hit the bear's heart and the second shot hit his head, fatally wounding the animal.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Joe |date=2022-06-27 |title='Creepy' amusement park paying homage to 9ft bear who killed seven sparks anger |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/creepy-amusement-park-paying-homage-27338678 |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=mirror |language=en}}</ref> |
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When measured, the bear was 340 |
When measured, the bear was {{convert|340|kg|lb|abbr=on}} and {{convert|2.7|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall.<ref>{{cite web|last1=McCurry|first1=Justin|title=Warning after four people killed in bear attacks in Japan|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/13/warning-four-killed-bear-attacks-akita-japan|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=19 March 2018|date=June 13, 2016}}</ref> A necropsy was carried out on the bear, during which parts of his victims were found in his stomach. While at the time the skull and some of the [[fur]] of the bear were kept, they later were lost. |
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== Aftermath == |
== Aftermath == |
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Ōkawa Haruyoshi, who was seven years old and the son of the Sankebetsu village mayor at the time of the incident, grew up to become a prolific bear [[hunter]]. He swore an oath to kill ten bears for every victim of the attack. By the time he reached the age of 62, he had killed 102 bears. He then retired and constructed {{nihongo|the Bear Harm [[Cenotaph]]|熊害慰霊碑|Yūgai Ireihi}}, a shrine where people can pray for the dead villagers. |
Ōkawa Haruyoshi, who was seven years old and the son of the Sankebetsu village mayor at the time of the incident, grew up to become a prolific bear [[hunter]]. He swore an oath to kill ten bears for every victim of the attack. By the time he reached the age of 62, he had killed 102 bears. He then retired and constructed {{nihongo|the Bear Harm [[Cenotaph]]|熊害慰霊碑|Yūgai Ireihi}}, a shrine where people can pray for the dead villagers. |
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Takayoshi, Haruyoshi's son, in 1980—after an eight-year chase—hunted down a 500 |
Takayoshi, Haruyoshi's son, in 1980—after an eight-year chase—hunted down a {{convert|500|kg|lb|abbr=on|adj=on}} brown bear who was nicknamed {{nihongo|the north sea Tarō|北海太郎|Hokkai Tarō}}. |
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==Records == |
==Records == |
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{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2023}} |
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2023}} |
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Beginning in 1961, {{nihongo| an agriculture and forestry technical officer|農林技官|Nōrin gikan}}, Kimura Moritake, who was working in the district forest office in [[Asahikawa]] [[:ja:古丹別|Kotanbetsu]], undertook an examination of the case in order to leave a permanent record of it. Forty-six years had already passed, and little official material was left, so Kimura traced the people who had lived in Sankebetsu in those days and made careful records of their stories. Obtaining a full and accurate picture of events was not possible, as many of the villagers were already deceased and most of the survivors were not cooperative owing to the gruesome nature of the attack. Kimura's account of the attack was reprinted in 1980 and published in 1994 as {{nihongo|''The Devil's Valley''|慟哭の谷 The Devil's Valley|Dōkoku no Tani: the Devil's Valley}} by Kyōdō |
Beginning in 1961, {{nihongo| an agriculture and forestry technical officer|農林技官|Nōrin gikan}}, Kimura Moritake, who was working in the district forest office in [[Asahikawa]] [[:ja:古丹別|Kotanbetsu]], undertook an examination of the case in order to leave a permanent record of it. Forty-six years had already passed, and little official material was left, so Kimura traced the people who had lived in Sankebetsu in those days and made careful records of their stories. Obtaining a full and accurate picture of events was not possible, as many of the villagers were already deceased and most of the survivors were not cooperative owing to the gruesome nature of the attack. Kimura's account of the attack was reprinted in 1980 and published in 1994 as {{nihongo|''The Devil's Valley''|慟哭の谷 The Devil's Valley|Dōkoku no Tani: the Devil's Valley}} by Kyōdō Bunkasha. |
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[[Akira Yoshimura]], a Japanese novelist, gathered information about this case and wrote about it in a novel. |
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==Analysis == |
==Analysis == |
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==Memorial == |
==Memorial == |
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In Rokusen-sawa, where the attack occurred, there is now a shrine called the {{nihongo|Sankebetsu Brown Bear Incident Reconstruction Location|三毛別羆事件復元現地|Sankebetsu Higuma Jiken Fukugen Genchi}}.<ref name=":0" /> The shrine, which is overgrown by trees, includes a restored house, a signboard on which the case is explained, and a statue of the brown bear. The place is near {{nihongo|Uchidome Bridge|射止橋|Uchidome bashi}}, which spans the Sankebetsu River. |
In Rokusen-sawa, where the attack occurred, there is now a shrine called the {{nihongo|Sankebetsu Brown Bear Incident Reconstruction Location|三毛別羆事件復元現地|Sankebetsu Higuma Jiken Fukugen Genchi}}.<ref name=":0" /> The shrine, which is overgrown by trees, includes a restored house, a signboard on which the case is explained, and a statue of the brown bear. The place is near {{nihongo|[[Uchidome Bridge]]|射止橋|Uchidome bashi}}, which spans the [[Sankebetsu River]]. |
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The shrine is located about 16 |
The shrine is located about {{convert|16|km|mi}} to the south on {{nihongo|Hokkaidō Route 1049|北海道道1049号|Hokkaidō 1049 gō}} from {{nihongo|Kotanbetsu Intersection|古丹別|Kotanbetsu Kōsaten}} on {{nihongo|[[Route 239 (Japan)|Route 239]]|国道239号|Kokudō 239 gō}}.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} |
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Hokkaidō Road 1049 was called a bear road, and there are many signboards showing a bear. These can be found at gates and at the wayside of the road. It is suggested that the posture expresses the symbiosis of [[wildlife|wild animals]] and |
Hokkaidō Road 1049 was called a bear road, and there are many signboards showing a bear. These can be found at gates and at the wayside of the road. It is suggested that the posture expresses the symbiosis of [[wildlife|wild animals]] and human beings.{{citation needed|date=October 2010}} Since numerous tourists who visit there know the history of the area, they may possibly interpret it as an ironic or humorous statement.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} |
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== Adaptations and |
== Adaptations and dramatizations == |
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{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2023}} |
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2023}} |