The Sankebetsu bear incident cannot be said to be the spark that ignited the fire, but it was indeed a significant event, a classic symbol of conflict between bears and humans.
In the cold winter, without any food storage, the behemoth barged into the village, killing 7 people and injuring 3. No matter the country, such an event is horrifying and was fully recorded.
Due to its infamy, this tragedy was adapted into novels, comics, stage plays, and movies, repeatedly broadcasted and widely known among the Japanese people.
After the ferocious predator was eventually hunted down, people discovered that this behemoth stood at 2.7 meters tall and weighed 340 kilograms.
[Holy shit, 2.7 meters? Isn't that a bit exaggerated?]
[That's as tall as a building, just reaching over your fence with a boo!]
[Wasn't the first one Master Fang encountered only 2.2 meters? This one is half a meter longer?]