A total of 88 people in Japan were attacked by bears in October, seven of whom died, with both figures marking record highs for a single month, the Environment Ministry said Monday.

In the seven months through October, the number of bear attack victims in the country totaled 196, a record high for the same period in the past five years, including 12 fatalities, according to the ministry.

By prefecture, Akita saw the highest number of victims during the April-October period with 56 people, followed by 34 in Iwate and 20 in Fukushima, the ministry said.

In Akita in northern Japan, 37 bear attacks were reported in October alone, including two deaths.

The Japanese government on Friday beefed up countermeasures against bears amid the surge in attacks by the animals encroaching into human communities, including offering financial and logistical support to help municipalities employ people with hunting licenses.

Amid a shortage of skilled hunters nationwide, amended rules also took effect on Thursday that enable police officers to use rifles to kill bears.

xinhua