Bear sightings continue unabated. On the 17th, there were a series of attacks on people across the country. The bear attack occurred in Shimokitayama Village, Nara Prefecture, surrounded by mountains on all sides. On the morning of the 17th, a man in his 60s was attacked by a bear as he left the toilet in an outbuilding of his house, sustaining injuries that caused bleeding from his head and face. The bear that attacked the man has not been found, and anxiety is spreading throughout the mountain village. A nearby resident said, “I can’t believe it. I thought (bears) were something that happened in Tohoku…”
Meanwhile, our reporting team headed to Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture. Just the night of the 15th, there had been two reports of bear sightings in the city. Near the scene is a go-kart track where you can enjoy full-fledged racing. Since the night of the 16th, they have been trying to repel bears with a secret plan. A pot is hanging in front of the gate. What is this pot…? Akihiro Hirakawa, manager of Takarazuka Kart Field: “We’re banging it really loud.” When opening and closing the gates of the racetrack in the morning and evening, they plan to make loud noises by banging a pot with a wooden stick to keep bears away.
Akihiro Hirakawa, manager of Takarazuka Kartfield: “It’s scary when a bear suddenly comes running. We heard that if you make noise, the bear will run away, so we are taking these measures to the best of our ability.” Racetrack users said, “There are small children who come here, so it’s best to have a safe environment.” Amid growing concerns about bears across the archipelago, a man driving in a convertible encountered a bear climbing a tree. Footage taken on the 15th in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, shows the bear persistently shaking branches in a tree. After a while, the tree-climbing bear came out onto the road and was seen gobbling up the leaves it had shaken to make them fall.
A man who was in a convertible at the time said, “The bear was climbing a tree, so if it were to jump at me, it would be dangerous… and I was in a convertible. I thought, ‘Wow, it’s huge.’ I was ready to get away (in the convertible) if it came.” Amid a series of bear sightings, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has announced its intention to lift the ban on bear hunting, which has been in place until now, starting in fiscal year 2027. If hunting is permitted again, it will be the first time in about 20 years. FNN Prime Online
Bear sightings are increasing in the Kansai region; Hyogo Prefecture is taking measures to control the bear population, but experts say “the proportion of young bears that are not used to humans is increasing.” [Today’s In-Depth Analysis]
“When I came out of the toilet…” A man in his 60s was attacked by a bear in Shimokitayama Village, Nara Prefecture, bleeding from his head and face. Experts say, “The grass should be cut.”
With June here, bear sightings have been increasing in the Kansai region. Amidst this, at around 4:30 a.m. on the 17th, in Teragakiuchi, Shimokitayama Village, Nara Prefecture, a man in his 60s encountered a bear outside his detached toilet. The man sustained injuries to his face and other parts of his body. The area is a village close to the mountains, and police and local hunting associations searched the area, but the bear has not been found. Bear attacks have been frequent in recent years. We will report on past incidents in Nara Prefecture and the latest information from the scene. (From MBS TV’s “Yon-Chan TV,” broadcast June 17, 2026) ▼MBS NEWS DIG
Bear Encounter ‘Attacked Twice’: Tokyo Metropolitan Government to Review Response”
