Two decades ago, Japan killed more than 4,000 black bears in a single year and conservationists feared for the species. Last year, it culled more than 12,000 after bears killed 13 people. Our Senior Correspondent Michiyo Ishida explains why bears are turning up in cities such as Sendai and Utsunomiya, what a new minister-in-charge of bears can change and if a roadmap that cuts wild bear numbers by 30 per cent leaves room for coexistence.