A bear appeared in the heart of Sendai, near the prefectural office, and stayed in a residential yard for half a day. Experts point to “three common points” as to why these “giant bears” are appearing in urban areas one after another. [TV Asahi NEWS]
Bear sightings are currently increasing in the Kansai region. Last Wednesday, a bear appeared at Amanohashidate, a popular tourist spot in Kyoto, and was later captured. Also last week in Kita Ward, Kobe City, a bear was photographed by a sensor camera installed in a forest, and on the 15th, the city announced that it was estimated to be about 1.5 years old. In addition, bears have been sighted near the city center of Nishinomiya City and in Takarazuka City in Hyogo Prefecture. Is it possible to encounter a bear in an urban area? We asked an expert.
The man attacked by the bear is a 39-year-old self-employed man residing in Tsuruoka City. According to police investigations, the man entered the mountains of Tamugimata, Tsuruoka City, alone at around 2:10 a.m. on the 15th to gather bamboo shoots from Mount Gassan. Later, at around 6:30 a.m., he was attacked by a bear approximately 1.2 meters long, and a struggle ensued, during which he is believed to have sustained serious injuries to his left arm and other parts of his body.
The man managed to descend the mountain on his own and received medical treatment at a medical facility, where he is currently still receiving treatment. Police received a report at around 12:30 p.m. on the 15th. The scene is in the mountains about 1.6 kilometers east of Yudonoyama Ski Resort.
A bear appeared in front of a car on a national highway in Takinoue Town, Hokkaido. A bear had been spotted shortly before, and police are continuing to patrol the area and remain on alert. The video was filmed from inside a car on a national highway in the mountainous area of Takinoue Town shortly after 7 p.m. on June 15th. A bear about 2 meters long is walking on the road, looking towards the car. According to the man who filmed it, he had spotted another bear about 1.5 meters long about 20 meters away just before this. There have been a series of bear sightings in the area from the 15th to the 16th, and police are continuing to patrol the area and remain on alert. (Broadcast June 16, 2026)
