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The food habits of Japanese black bears (Selenarctos thibetanus japonicus) were studied in the Neo Nishitani Valley, Gifu Prefecture, between 1973 and 1977. The bear live in the temperate forest zone where beech (Fagus crenata), Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica var. grosserata), and Japanese white oak (Q. serrata) dominate. Their diet was composed mostly of plant matter throughout the year. During spring, bear ate nuts of beech and oaks which had fallen in the previous year, beech buds and shoots of herbaceous plants. During summer, bears ate a large quantity of animal matter such as ants and other insects, and much plant matter such as the fruits of Japanese cluster cherry (Prunus grayana) and dogwood (Cornus controversa). Nuts of oaks and beech were consumed in large quantities during fall. A census of the numbers of fruit trees with branches broken by bears revealed that the animals mainly used beech in 1973, Japanese white oak and Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata) in 1974, chestnut and Mongolian oak in 1975, beech in 1976, and chestnut in 1977. In 1976, when few broken branches of beech tree were found, fallen beechnuts were eaten.