Not illegal. In Hokkaido, Japan, bears are abundant because they have no natural predators, and every year there are many vicious injuries and damage to farmland crops. Every year, the Hokkaido government authorizes permission to hunt a specified number of bears, which are killed and reported to the government for numbered photographs. These bears are put on the market and become legal bear paws on people's tables, so it is not illegal to eat them. The paws can be used to make dishes, and are a regional specialty that can only be eaten legally in Hokkaido.