A Japanese man who came face-to-face with a snarling bear took things into his own hands - and unleashed his karate skills on the beast.

The 63-year-old was fishing in a mountain creek when the 6ft 3in creature set upon him in what he said was an unprovoked attack.

In scenes seemingly reminiscent of Leonardo Di Caprio's epic tussle with an angry bear in the Oscar-winning film The Revenant - Atsushi Aoki was bitten and scratched repeatedly, including on his head.

"The bear was so strong, and it knocked me down," Mr Aoki told Tokyo Broadcasting System.

"It turned me over and bit me right here," he added, pointing to his bandaged leg.

But instead of trying to outrun the beast - an Asian black bear - the fisherman decided he would use his well-honed karate skills.

After assuming a fighting stance with his right fist in front of him, Mr Aoki jabbed at his attacker's eyes, which sent the creature scrambling away into the woods.

"I thought it's either 'I kill him or he kills me,'" Mr Aoki told public broadcaster NHK.

The plucky fisherman managed to get back to his car and take himself to a hospital in Gunma, northwest of Tokyo, despite the mauling that left him with injuries to his head, arm and leg.