A man in rural Japan discovered a bear resting in his living room, local media reported on Tuesday, as authorities prepared to ease laws on shooting such animals.

Reports said the man, living in snowy Fukushima region, found the bear on Monday evening lying under his kotatsu, a low table with a heating element and blanket commonly used in Japanese homes.

"I came home from work and there was a bear with its head shoved into the kotatsu," the man said, according to local reports. The bear was estimated to be around 90 centimetres (three feet) long.

The man, who was in his 60s and lived alone, fled to a neighbour's house and called the police. Upon returning over an hour later, he found the bear and his food scattered around.

Police urged nearby residents to evacuate or lock their doors, Kyodo News reported. No injuries were reported during the incident.

Public broadcaster NHK said by midday on Tuesday the bear remained inside the home. Footage showed police officers gathered around the snow-covered property, surrounded by tall trees.

The incident occurred amid increasing bear encounters in recent years, which led the Japanese government to propose easing restrictions on shooting the animals.

The new policy, expected to be implemented next year, would grant local authorities the ability to approve "emergency shootings" even in more populated areas.

Experts linked the rise in bear sightings to declining human populations in rural Japan, forcing hungry bears to venture closer to towns.

Other contributing factors included climate change, which impacted food supplies and hibernation patterns. Japan recorded its warmest summer on record this year.

Japan recorded six fatalities caused by bear attacks and over 9,000 bears killed in the last fiscal year.

Earlier this month, a bear rampaged through a supermarket in northern Akita region for two days before being lured out with food coated in honey.

The bear wounded a 47-year-old man and damaged the meat department before authorities evacuated the store.