“We want to support them. The hunting association is working very hard.” “If a bear appears, that person will always come and take care of it.” (Both are residents of Sunagawa City)
These are the voices of residents of Sunagawa City, Hokkaido, who have been keeping a close eye on the outcome of the trial. Hunters on the front lines of bear extermination also expressed their support.
“I don’t know what to believe. Anyone would think that they themselves might be held accountable for illegal activities.” (Rito Takasaki, head of the Mikasa branch of the Hokkaido Hunting Association)
In 2025, the number of reports to the Hokkaido Police regarding bears exceeded 5,000, the highest number ever. Amid this situation, a noteworthy ruling was handed down by the Supreme Court on March 27.
Despite firing at the city’s request—Hunting license revoked In 2018, hunter Haruo Ikegami fired his hunting rifle to exterminate a bear at the request of Sunagawa City.
At that time, his hunting license was revoked because there was a risk that the bullets could have reached a building.
Ikegami has filed a lawsuit against Hokkaido Prefecture, seeking the reversal of the decision. “If you ask a hunter to shoot, and then they tell you it was wrong, what are you supposed to believe?” (Haruo Ikegami, the hunter who filed the lawsuit)
In the first trial at the Sapporo District Court, Ikegami won, as it was determined that the shooting was not unjustified. However, in the second trial at the Sapporo High Court, Ikegami lost on the lower court’s decision, as it was determined that the bullet could have reached the building. The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict on the 27th. Hunters on the front lines… There is one hunter who has been paying particular attention to the outcome of this trial. “The shock was great, going from a victory to a defeat. The actions of hunters on the ground will certainly be restricted. It would be more accurate to say that they are already restricted.”
(Takasaki) This is Rito Takasaki, a hunter from Mikasa City. As the branch manager of the Hokkaido Hunting Association, he is regularly involved in bear extermination. He says that the revocation of Ikegami’s hunting license and his subsequent defeat in court could lead to hunters on the ground becoming hesitant to act.
“When people don’t want to do anything in a gray area, they often refer to what kind of rulings have been made in court to decide what to do. Some people have a mental brake because they think that if they shoot this, their hunting license might be revoked,” says Takasaki.
Takasaki, who is also acquainted with Ikegami, is hoping that the Supreme Court ruling on the 27th will facilitate the smooth extermination of bears. “Members of the hunting association are basically very righteous and have a strong desire to contribute, and they go out into the field with the idea of protecting the safety of citizens. I hope that this ruling will have a positive effect on the speed of resolving incidents on the ground,” says Takasaki. “The significance of the Supreme Court ruling is great,” experts point out Legal experts point out that the significance of the Supreme Court ruling is great.
“There is a big difference between the rulings of the district court and the high court and the rulings of the Supreme Court. The criteria for judgment set by the Supreme Court are respected as strongly as the law,” says Kenta Uchida, former judge of the Sapporo District Court and lawyer. The much-anticipated ruling will be handed down at the Supreme Court at 3 p.m. on the 27th.
A highly anticipated court ruling has been handed down. A bear approaches a train. It changes course and makes threatening gestures. The photo was taken on March 15th by a passenger on the JR Hanasaki Line running through Nemuro City, Hokkaido.
It is the season when bears awaken from hibernation and begin to become active. Amidst this, a highly anticipated court ruling has been handed down. Why he hasn’t held a hunting rifle A bear struggling after being caught in a box trap. The trap was set by Haruo Ikegami, a hunter from Sunagawa City. As the head of the Sunagawa branch of the Hokkaido Hunting Association, he has been involved in bear extermination.
However, he hasn’t held a hunting rifle for seven years. The reason is… Seeking the reversal of the decision In 2018, at the request of Sunagawa City, Ikegami fired his hunting rifle to exterminate a bear. At that time, his hunting rifle permit was revoked on the grounds that there was a risk that the bullet could have reached a building. Ikegami has filed a lawsuit against Hokkaido seeking the reversal of the decision. “If you hire a hunter and then they tell you it was wrong to shoot, what are you supposed to believe?”
(Haruo Ikegami, the hunter who filed the lawsuit) In the first trial at the Sapporo District Court, Ikegami won, as the court ruled that Hokkaido’s decision to revoke his hunting rifle permit was illegal. However, in the second trial at the Sapporo High Court, the court overturned the decision and Ikegami lost, as it was determined that there was a risk of the bullet ricocheting off rocks and reaching the building. The Supreme Court ruling was: “Even in Sunagawa City, they have stopped hunting bears with guns. Because of my case. I think the Sapporo High Court ruling has become a burden on hunters nationwide.”
(Haruo Ikegami) In 2025, the number of reports to the Hokkaido Police regarding bears exceeded 5,000, the highest number ever. The threat of bears is now very close to people’s lives. A ruling that will have a major impact on how bear extermination is carried out in the future was handed down by the Supreme Court on March 27.
The Supreme Court’s Third Petty Bench ruled that the Hokkaido Public Safety Commission’s decision to revoke Mr. Ikegami’s hunting license was illegal, resulting in a reversal of the lower court’s decision. This marks the first time the Supreme Court has ruled on the illegality of a license revocation due to firing a gun for bear extermination. “They have reached a conclusion that allows us to rely on hunters with peace of mind. I think it was a very good ruling. It took a long time, seven years, but in a way, I think it was a meaningful time,” said Haruo Ikegami, the hunter who won the reversal.
Toyoyuki Hayashi, a hunter who has followed Mr. Ikegami’s trial closely, commented on the ruling: “I thought I wouldn’t be able to go even if I received a dispatch request. I’m really glad that Mr. Ikegami’s argument was upheld by the Supreme Court,” said Toyoyuki Hayashi, chairman of the Tomamae Town Hunting Association.
The Hokkaido Public Safety Commission issued a statement apologizing to Mr. Ikegami. “We take this Supreme Court ruling very seriously. We apologize for the inconvenience and burden caused to Mr. Ikegami, and we will promptly proceed with the procedures for the return of the hunting rifle.” (Comment from the Hokkaido Public Safety Commission) The Supreme Court ruling is likely to have an impact on how bear extermination will be conducted in the future.
