The number of raccoons caught each year in Tokyo has increased around fivefold in the past decade, causing damage to crops in suburban areas and raising concerns over the invasive species' impact on the ecosystem.
The omnivorous animals, which are subject to extermination measures, are native to North America and went wild after those kept as pets escaped or were abandoned, according to the Environment Ministry.
Known for being highly adaptable to their environment and rabid breeders, raccoons are believed to have spread mainly in the hills of the western part of the capital's wider metropolitan area and have been causing widespread damage to crops in more rural areas.
A total of 1,282 raccoons were caught in fiscal 2022, up from 259 in fiscal 2012, according to the Tokyo government, although an increasing number of local governments have started tackling the problem after the capital drew up plans in 2013 to exterminate the animals.
In fiscal 2022, the damage caused to crops across the country amounted to around 450 million yen, with fruits, vegetables and livestock especially susceptible, according to the farm ministry.
There have also been reports of raccoons eating the endangered Tokyo salamander.
Among local governments, Ome in western Tokyo sets up traps for residents who want to eradicate them, while Fuchu, also in the west, calls on residents to contact officials if their crops are damaged or the animals enter their homes.
But such measures have so far proved ineffective in curbing the animals, local governments say.
"Our traps are sometimes broken as raccoons are also desperate to live. Only a fraction is actually caught, so we are unable to grasp their overall range," said an official from a municipality.
