Japan Power Outage Statistics and Causes Tracker

Animal-Related Power Outage Statistics in Japan

Power outages in Japan are caused by a variety of factors, including earthquakes and other severe weather, equipment failures, and even animal interference. In fact, wildlife plays a significant role in disrupting Japan’s electrical grid. Crows and various other birds, snakes, lizards, and other wildlife can interfere with electrical infrastructure, leading to unexpected outages throughout the country. Check out these animal-related power outage statistics in Japan below:

• In May 2025, Tokaido Shinkansen bullet trains running between Tokyo and Osaka were suspended after a snake tangled itself in a power line, causing a power outage. (BBC)
• In June 2022, around 9,800 households in Japan's Fukushima province were affected by a power outage after a snake roamed a substation in Koriyama City. (Business Insider)
• A 2024 study identified 161 power outages cause by wildlife at Japanese power distribution facilities. 139 of those cases were caused by bird nests and 22 of those cases were caused by snakes. (CiNii Research)
• According to Kansai Transmission and Distribution, animal-related outages in Japan are most common in spring and summer. (Kansai Transmission and Distribution)
• During the first three months of 2023, Fukushima utilities removed 508 crow nests from utility poles. (The Japan Times)
• In March 2025, a crow nest on a utility pole caused a blackout affecting approximately 3,500 households in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward. (Asahi Shimbun Company)
• On May 18, 2026, Japan Monkey Park temporarily closed after a power outage affected 28 of its 36 attractions. A gecko found inside distribution equipment was suspected as the cause. (Nagoya TV)
• On Oct. 18, 2025, a snake in a power substation caused an outage affecting more than 7,100 households across Tonami, Oyabe, and Nanto. (Tulip Television Co., Ltd.)
• On June 11, 2024, about 2,390 homes in Hiroshima City’s Asaminami Ward lost power for about two minutes, attributed to "contact with snakes or other wild animals.” (TBS News Dig)
• Tohoku Electric Power Network removed 2,877 crow nests in Akita Prefecture in 2025; crow-nest-related outages occurred 3 times and affected 1,812 buildings. (Ameba)

Costs of Power Outages

Whether caused by severe weather, wildlife interference, or other factors, unexpected power outages can result in significant costs for utilities, businesses, and homeowners. Check out these power outage cost statistics below:

• The global cost of wildlife outages has been estimated at over $10 billion a year. (INMR)
• ITIC’s 2024 Hourly Cost of Downtime survey indicates a single hour of server downtime totals $300,000 or more for 90% percent of mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises. (ITIC)

Contact Critter Guard Today to Help Prevent Animal caused Power Outages in Japan

At Critter Guard, we offer humane wildlife control solutions designed to help utilities, businesses, and homeowners throughout Japan and all over the world reduce the occurrence of animal-related power outages. For more information about our wildlife control products, explore our products page or request an international quote!