FEATURE: Raccoons spread into Japanese cities as farm damage mounts

OSAKA - Raccoon damage is rising sharply across Japan, with agricultural losses nearing 700 million yen ($4.4 million) a year as the invasive species expands into cities as well as rural areas.

Damage to agricultural crops caused by raccoons reached 693 million yen nationwide in the fiscal year starting April 2024, more than double the 334 million yen recorded a decade earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.