Shiretoko claims Japan's largest bear population, a fact stressed to no end in local tourist literature. In practice, the Hokkaido brown bear ezo-higuma is no match for the North American grizzly, and you are exceedingly unlikely to be attacked if you observe a modicum of common sense. That said, most hikers wear tinkling bells known as kumasuzu to alert bears which shy away from human contact, and you should not leave any food in or near your tent if camping.
