In an attempt to promote itself, one remote Japanese town has come up with a novel idea – selling wild bear meat provided by local hunters in a vending machine.

Japan has long been known for its ubiquitous vending machines, offering wares from the mundane – drinks and snacks – to more exotic items such as surgical masks, edible insects, and even whale meat.

But the vending machine in Semboku, a town some 400 kilometers (249 miles) north of Tokyo, in Akita prefecture, takes things a notch further by offering meat from wild Asian black bears, killed by local hunters who set up traps around the rural town or in the forested mountains.

“The reason we set up a vending machine is that (Asian black) bear meat isn’t very common to see outside of this town, so we want tourists who come visit in town to buy it. Bear meat is very rare so I hope people would appreciate the chance to purchase it,” said Daishi Sato, who set up the vending machine outside his soba restaurant near the local Tazawako train station. Apart from ursine options, the machine also offers local beef on its menu.

Each pack of bear meat, provided by members of a local hunting association, costs 2,200 yen ($16.75) per 250 grams (0.55 pounds). According to Sato, he sells around seven to 10 packets weekly, although the supply may run out due to hunting restrictions. Once sold out, the machine will also not be restocked until June when hunting can be allowed to resume, added Sato.

“To local people, it (hunting bears) is a form of animal control. When the bears come out into town, they could be dangerous, so hunters will set up traps to catch them and kill them for meat,” said the 49-year-old business owner.

“The meat tastes better if the bears are caught in a trap than the ones shot by gun, because hunters will cut the flesh and drain the blood immediately after the bears are caught in the traps,” he added.

Bear attacks on humans are an increasing problem in parts of rural Japan due to a shortage of food in the mountains, leading the animals to venture into inhabited areas to forage. In 2022, 75 people in Japan were injured due to bear encounters and two were killed, according to government data. One of the deaths was in Akita.

Sato said it is local culture for hunters to share a rare catch with their families and friends, so many Semboku residents have tasted bear meat.

“It is hard to describe the flavour. How should I put it? There is a kind of wild taste from the mountains,” said Sato, adding that he hopes to introduce the meat to more people outside of the town.

Even though many people are curious about the machine’s rare option, not all of them proceed to make a purchase.

Visiting from Kyogo prefecture in western Japan, Hiromi Katayama was surprised upon seeing the vending machine but said she would not think about buying bear meat.

“I don’t even know how to cook it. But I think it’s unique to the locals and it’s interesting to see it,” she said.

By Reuters