Tension continues in a residential area of Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture. The cause is a bear that was sighted, measuring about 1.5 meters in length. It is believed to still be hiding in the bushes, and the situation is dragging on. (As of 6:30 p.m. on April 7)
■ Captured on security camera Around 9 p.m. on April 6, a bear measuring about 1.5 meters in length appeared near the entrance of a house. The bear was captured on a security camera in downtown Koriyama. It was walking slowly, looking around.
■ Appearance in the heart of Koriyama Tension spreads in the residential area due to the sudden incident. City hall and other organizations were busy responding. The bear appeared in Tomita-cho, Koriyama City, about 3.5 kilometers from JR Koriyama Station. There had been a series of bear sightings in the area since the night of the 6th. A resident said, “This is the first time a bear has appeared in the neighborhood. It’s a little scary. I don’t know how big the bear is, and I’ve never encountered one before, so I can’t really grasp it.”
■ Schools also respond There are many kindergartens and schools in the area, and anxiety has spread in educational settings as well. Nearby elementary and junior high schools have requested that parents accompany their children when they leave school. One parent said, “We were told to stay indoors as much as possible because a bear had been spotted.”
■ No capture was made The bear, which had remained in the park for a time, moved to the bushes on the riverbank of the Ose River around 11 a.m. Police and city officials continued to surround the area to prevent it from escaping into the surrounding residential area, while using drones to confirm the bear’s location. Afterwards, attempts were made to drive it away using fireworks and firecrackers, but the bear remained. Further attempts were made to drive it away with water, but it did not move. There are concerns that the situation will be prolonged.
■ Multiple sightings in the area Is it the same bear? The bear that has been sighted repeatedly since the night of the 6th is believed to be the same individual. Police, city officials, and hunting associations have continued to maintain vigilance by sealing off the surrounding area, but this was suspended on the 7th due to sunset. According to the police, the number of bear sightings in Fukushima Prefecture since the beginning of 2026 has already reached 99, an increase of 85 compared to the same period in 2025, which is about seven times higher. Nearby schools are urging parents to pick up and drop off their children, and Koriyama City plans to resume vigilance from 9:00 AM on the 8th. Koriyama City is also warning people to stay away from the area, as there is a possibility that the bear will move again tonight.
On the 7th, a bear was spotted speeding past a residential area where cherry blossoms were in bloom. As bear countermeasures are being re-evaluated from “protection” to “management,” how has the situation on the ground changed?
■Bear sightings increase after hibernation A bear suddenly appeared from the bushes in a park in a residential area. It ran away at top speed. The bear ran to the back of the park as if to escape from people nearby. Police officers and city officials pursued the bear. The area very close to the bushes where the bear was hiding is also a walking route for local residents.
A person who was walking said, “It’s terrifying. I walk here every day. If bears appear in such a close place, I can’t even take a walk in peace.” The bear appeared about 3 kilometers from JR Koriyama Station in Fukushima Prefecture. It was at “Oshima Nature Interaction Plaza” in a residential area. There have been a series of bear sightings in the surrounding area since the night of the 6th. Bears have also appeared in areas lined with houses. Residents who witnessed the bear describe the terrifying moment.
Resident who spotted the bear: “(Q. Did you see the bear?) Yes, I saw it, it was so fat. It was huge. I was scared because it was coming towards me. It was scary, I never thought it would appear around here.” The bear headed into a park with lush vegetation. It ran through, shaking its large body. Afterwards, police officers with shields searched for the bear, which had hidden in the bushes. About two hours after it first appeared, there was movement… They tried to drive the bear away, but the situation remained at a standstill.
■A “tense situation” with a red-crowned crane With the arrival of warm spring weather, bears have been appearing in various places. An unusual sight occurred in Nemuro City, Hokkaido. Red-crowned cranes were moving along the shore near a bridge. Ahead of them was a large brown bear. When the red-crowned crane shook its head in a threatening gesture, the brown bear made a movement to avoid it.
Photographer: “The bear was walking along the lakeshore from right to left when a red-crowned crane went towards it. It’s nesting season for red-crowned cranes, and they are very sensitive to danger because they are trying to protect their eggs and chicks. It seems like the crane went towards the bear when it came out.” Previously, a brown bear was also spotted swimming in the lake. There is concern that the number of bears active near human settlements is increasing. Photographer: “There are a lot of bear sightings. If bears and humans get too close, they may be surprised by the sudden encounter and come towards the bear.”
■ How will it change from “protection to management”? In spring, the number of bears emerging from hibernation increases. The Ministry of the Environment has revised its bear countermeasures guidelines for the first time in about four years. The basic policy has been revised from the previous “protection” to “management,” such as reducing the number of bears.
■ Close-up on the scene of “managed capture” Hunters peer through binoculars in the mountains of Oguni Town, Yamagata Prefecture. They are looking for bears that have emerged from hibernation. Keisei Kimura (75) of the Oguni Hunting Association: “Visibility is poor, so we can’t see.”
On the 7th, we accompanied the team to the front lines of bear control, the “spring management capture” operation. This is an effort to reduce and manage the bear population. Keisei Kimura of the Oguni Hunting Association: “Right now, you can see the bears that have come out of hibernation. That’s why we hunt bears at this time of year.” He says that it is easier to spot bears at this time of year, before the snow on the mountains melts and the leaves on the trees begin to sprout. Keisei Kimura of the Oguni Hunting Association: “Once the leaves in the depths of the mountains turn green, you can’t see them at all.” He said that on the 6th, they found one bear and killed it with a gun. However, the aging of hunters is a major obstacle to this shift from protection to management.
Tsutomu Saito (73) of the Oguni Town Hunting Association: “Until I was about 40, I used to run through the mountains chasing bears. I don’t have that kind of stamina anymore.” Keisei Kimura of the Oguni Hunting Association: “Recently, fewer people are going into the mountains. As a result, the bears are coming down to the villages, and with fewer people hunting them, their population is increasing and it’s becoming unmanageable.” In order to reduce damage caused by bears in the future, they are also focusing on training the next generation of hunters. Keisei Kimura of the Oguni Hunting Association: “We are working hard to train young people and guide them so that they can capture bears.” [TV Asahi NEWS]
