Raccoons increasingly cause concern in rural and urban Japan

Tokyo (ANTARA) - Raccoons are increasingly causing concern in both rural and urban areas of Japan. Official Japanese data shows that losses due to agricultural crop damage caused by raccoons across the country reached 693 million yen (1 yen = Rp114.61) in the 2024 fiscal year, more than double the amount recorded a decade ago.

Specifically, damage caused by raccoons has become increasingly evident in urban areas in recent years. For example, in Osaka, western Japan, resident complaints regarding raccoons have continued to rise, from 161 cases in the 2023 fiscal year to 332 cases in the 2024 fiscal year, and 397 cases in the 2025 fiscal year, according to the report.

Among these complaints are reports of goldfish being preyed upon from garden ponds and raccoons breaking into attics.

Raccoons also rank first on the list of wildlife species causing agricultural damage in Osaka Prefecture, contributing more than 40 per cent of the total damage, with losses from crop damage reaching 84.06 million yen in the 2024 fiscal year, double the amount recorded the previous year.

Osaka Prefecture authorities believe the animals are beginning to settle in residential areas in search of food, and have urged residents not to approach or feed them.

An increase in breeding sites for raccoons, such as abandoned houses, may also be contributing to the expansion of their habitat, the report stated, quoting an official from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Hokkaido, in the northern region, is facing similar issues, with raccoons spreading across almost the entire prefecture by the end of January this year.

Local officials stated that the raccoon population is increasing so rapidly that it has become an endless battle.

Nevertheless, experts say that ongoing efforts, such as installing traps, are necessary to reduce the animal population and limit the damage they cause.