This special feature explored the evolving relationship between humans and brown bears in Hokkaido, Japan, considering shifting wildlife management policies and global biodiversity conservation efforts. Drawing on discussions from symposia held in 2023 and 2025, the collection of articles traced the historical phases of the human-bear relationship—from reverence and utilization (HBR ver.0), to extermination (HBR ver.1), protection and population recovery (HBR ver.2), and the current call for coexistence through mutual vigilance between humans and bears (HBR ver.3). As bears reduce their fear of humans, conflicts such as agricultural damage and human injuries have increased, highlighting the need for new management strategies. A distinctive aspect of Hokkaido’s strategy is categorizing bears as either nuisance or non-nuisance, based on traditional Ainu knowledge. This categorization is made possible through the long-term monitoring of the number of nuisance bears. This approach represents a form of active adaptive management that is rarely seen in large mammal conservation. The case of Hokkaido’s brown bears illustrates a broader global challenge—how a society facing population decline and wildlife recovery can sustainably coexist with large wildlife. This requires not only ethical reflection but also practical, science-based solutions.

The human-brown bear Ursus arctos conflicts (HBCs) have increased in Hokkaido in recent years. The recent increase in HBCs can be attributed to changes in both the bear and human sides. Brown bears in Hokkaido were added to the list of “Designated Wildlife Species for Control” and the Hokkaido Brown Bear Management Plan (Phase 2) was reviewed in 2024, and the plan includes the concept of active adaptive management, zoning management, and population management when the total population exceeds the region’s acceptable level. HBCs management should be considered as a risk management strategy for natural disasters, consisting of a combination of crisis, exposure, and vulnerability. In an adaptive management scheme, the management policy is determined every few years by each phase based on the annual conflict levels and population levels for each management unit. Zoning management aims for the coexistence of humans and bears through spatial segregation. When implementing management measures, the land is divided into bear habitat as forested areas in the deep mountains, forests around human settlements, human settlements as rural areas, and urban areas. To promote brown bear management in the future, necessary measures and monitoring and its implementation system are discussed based on the concept of risk management and zoning management.