Bear spray goes off in Japan post office, leaving five hospitalized

A sign showing bear deterrent measures is displayed next to a wolf-shaped robotic device outside a convenience store in a rural area of Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture. Five people were hospitalized after a man accidentally set off an anti-bear spray in a post office in Nagoya's city center, reports and officials said, as Japan grapples with a sharp rise in maulings. A foreign national, who was not named, apologized and told police that he discharged the repellant unintentionally, the reports said. "Eight people felt sick, and of those five were sent to hospital. But there was no report of serious injuries or illness," fire department official Ryohei Asano said after the mishap on Wednesday. At least five people have been killed by bears in Japan since April 1 after a record 13 deaths last fiscal year.