In the last fiscal year to March, bear sightings nationwide topped 50,000, more than double the previous record set two years earlier, according to official data.
The animals were seen entering homes, roaming near schools and rampaging through supermarkets and hot spring resorts on an almost daily basis.
Record sightings have been reported again this year as the bears emerge from their winter slumber, according to local media.
In April, bear attacks killed one person and injured five others, according to the environment ministry.
There have also been more than a dozen bear sightings reported on the outskirts of Tokyo this year, with a Russian man in his 30s reportedly mauled as he hiked in the city last month.