A bear injured nine people at a motorway rest stop in central Japan before being shot dead in a souvenir shop.

Four of the victims were seriously injured in the attack by the black bear on Saturday afternoon in Nyukawa, a small mountain town about 230 kilometres west of Tokyo, said firefighter Tomohiko Akano.

The 1.3-metre bear first attacked people at a bus parking area and then entered a lodge where it was trapped in a souvenir shop and shot dead by a hunter, according to media reports.

No-one suffered life-threatening injuries in the attack, which lasted about an hour, reports said.

A photograph from the scene showed the bear mauling a prone person in a parking area while a man attempted to scare it off.

The rest stop is on a mountainous road that is open during summer months only to licensed buses and taxis. The area is frequented by tourists for its scenic views.

Akano said bear attacks are very rare in the area.

A company that manages the terminal for the Takayama city government said it had received reports of bear sightings in the area this year, but had not taken countermeasures such as setting up a fence around the facility.