A shocking scene was captured on camera in a residential area. Shortly after 8 a.m. on the 29th, the first day of Golden Week, a bear was filmed running from inside a bus near a baseball field in Daisen City, Akita Prefecture. A person who was on the bus at the time said, “We kept the children inside the bus and waited for them to get out. It seems like outdoor practice will be dangerous from now on.”
On the 29th, a public holiday, there was a baseball practice game for children, and the bear appeared shortly after the bus arrived at the stadium. The bear’s appearance in a residential area with an elementary school and a junior high school nearby has raised concerns among residents. A nearby resident said: “I’m scared to leave my house. This has been happening since spring, so I’m worried about what will happen.” Another person in the vicinity also spotted a bear at the same time. This bear was also running away at full speed. As it headed towards a baseball field, it is believed to be the same bear.
According to “Kumadas,” operated by Akita Prefecture, the number of bear sightings in April reached 367 as of 3 PM on the 30th, more than four times the 85 sightings recorded in April 2025. On the 30th, a bear was confirmed to have appeared on a highway. Shortly after 11 AM, a bear was seen “sprinting” across the Akita Expressway, which runs from Daisen City to Akita City. In Akita City on the 29th, a bear was also spotted walking on a pipeline at a breakwater in the harbor. At the time, the breakwater was open to the public free of charge, and fishermen could be seen on the other side of the bear.
A fisherman said: “It’s just terrifying, isn’t it? Life is more important than fishing gear or fish. Fishing is only possible if you’re alive.” There have been numerous sightings near the breakwater, and new footage shows a bear about 1 meter long slipping through a restricted area gate and walking leisurely. Bears are also appearing in various locations during Golden Week. On the 25th, a huge brown bear was spotted in Niikappu, Hokkaido, sprinting and shaking its large rear end. Two days later, in Tomamae, Hokkaido, a bear measuring over 2 meters in length and weighing 330 kg was captured. Both bears had physiques that didn’t seem like they had just emerged from hibernation.
On the 29th, in Toyama City, a woman in her 40s was injured when a bear that jumped out of a nearby irrigation ditch attacked her while she was walking her dog. Police and hunting associations searched for the bear from the morning of the 30th and subsequently killed it. The threat of bear sightings is also present in the Kanto-Koshin region. A bear appeared along a river in Hayakawa, Yamanashi Prefecture. On April 12th, a man who was stream fishing encountered the bear as he was about to leave. Bear sighting while stream fishing: “When I spotted it, it was already right in front of me. Right in front of me. About 5 meters away. About 1 meter in size. If you panic and shout and run away, it will chase you. It’s important to deal with it calmly.” Golden Week is a time when many people travel. Caution is advised in recreational areas where bear sightings have been confirmed. FNN Prime Online
Amid a series of bear attacks, a woman walking her dog in Toyama City was attacked by a bear and seriously injured. Meanwhile, in Gunma Prefecture, a man who apparently fell after colliding with a deer on his motorcycle was hit by a car and killed. (From “news zero” broadcast on April 30, 2026)
