As encounters between humans and wildlife become more common in Japan, questions about boundaries, coexistence, and responsibility are becoming harder to ignore. A wandering firefly and an urban bear may seem unrelated, yet both remind us that humans are not the only inhabitants of this world.
Last night, another wandering firefly—probably one that had crossed over the wooded hills behind Tsurugaoka Hachimangu—was flying in my garden.
I do not think it was the same one I saw the other day. Perhaps there are several of them.
There is something touching about seeing such fragile creatures survive and continue on. At the same time, their resilience is remarkable.
Bears venturing into human communities have become almost commonplace.
I was surprised to hear that bears are now appearing even in Utsunomiya, the prefectural capital.
If bears ever learned how to ride the Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, they could reach Yokohama or Kamakura in no time, not to mention Shinjuku and Shibuya.
Considering how intelligent bears are, the idea is not entirely impossible.
If that happened, it would not be surprising to see a bear running down Dankazura Avenue.
Bears can run faster than Usain Bolt, swim well, climb trees with ease, and above all, possess tremendous strength.
Unfortunately, humans and bears cannot safely share exactly the same living space.
Yet the very concept of a “living space” is something humans have drawn for themselves.
Neither fireflies nor bears spend much time worrying about boundaries.
What has really happened is that humans have transported them from place to place or expanded into areas where they once lived, and in doing so, we have broken the boundaries ourselves.
This world does not belong to humans alone.
It is probably no longer possible to confine bears to the forests that humans have steadily reduced over the years.
In fact, people continue to push deeper into those shrinking forests, making any boundary almost meaningless from a bear’s perspective.
If we hope to coexist with bears in a country with limited land, restraint is required not only from wildlife but from humans as well.
As long as we continue to enter every corner of the mountains—whether for wild vegetable gathering, hiking, or recreation—we cannot completely avoid conflicts with bears.
We do not live in this world by ourselves.
Humans, too, must learn the value of restraint.
It is something we would do well to remember.
Perhaps coexistence begins not with drawing clearer boundaries, but with recognizing how often we are the ones crossing them.
・・・
Vocabulary for Learners
wander
To move around without a fixed destination.
さまよう、歩き回る
resilience
The ability to recover, survive, or adapt to difficulties.
回復力、たくましさ
venture into
To enter a place that may be unfamiliar or risky.
進出する、踏み入る
coexist
To live or exist together peacefully.
共存する
boundary
A line or limit that separates one area from another.
境界
confine
To keep within certain limits or boundaries.
閉じ込める、制限する
perspective
A particular way of viewing or understanding something.
視点、考え方
restraint
Self-control; the ability to hold back from doing something.
自制、自重
shared landscape
An environment used or inhabited by different groups or species.
共有された環境
cross a boundary
To go beyond a limit or border.
境界を越える、踏み越える
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