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Latest updates and analysis about bear activity in Japan
Kumamap on Fuji TV: National Morning Show Cited Our Bear Map
Fuji TV's Nonstop! cited Kumamap's nationwide bear map on its April 10, 2026 broadcast. Kumamap now holds 129,380 verified incidents across all 47 prefectures.
1 week ago
2,889 views
Bear Alerts for Japan 2026: Get Notified When Bears Are Spotted Near Your Trail
After Japan's deadliest bear year on record, Kumamap now sends bear sighting alerts for any area in Japan. Follow hiking trails, prefectures, cities, or tourist spots and get push notifications when new incidents are reported. Free on web, iOS, and Android.
1 week ago
108 views
Bear Spray in Japan 2026: Where to Buy, Rent, and How to Use It
Where to buy bear spray in Japan, where to rent it, best products compared, how to use bear spray, and common mistakes. Bear safety guide for hiking in Japan with data from Kumamap's 129,000+ incident database.
1 week ago
375 views
Golden Week and Bears: Safety Data for 10 Popular Hiking Destinations
Bear incidents during Golden Week increased 9x from 2019 to 2025. We checked 129,000+ incidents against Japan's most popular GW hiking destinations.
2 weeks ago
481 views
Kumamap is Now on the App Store
The Kumamap iOS app is here. 128,000+ bear incidents mapped across Japan. GPS-powered nearby alerts, AI predictions, and trip planning — one tap from your home screen.
2 weeks ago
44 views
World Bear Day 2026: Japan Tracks 128,000+ Bear Incidents Across 47 Prefectures
March 23 is World Bear Day. Japan is home to 2 of the world's 8 bear species, tracked 128,695 incidents, and chose bear as its 2025 Kanji of the Year. From Ainu bear gods to a modern crisis.
3 weeks ago
157 views
Bear Safety in Japan: 5,000+ Locations Checked (2026)
Kenroku-en Garden has 1,723 bear incidents. Kinkaku-ji has 457. Mount Norikura has 736. Check bear safety at 5,000+ castles, temples, shrines, mountains, and hiking trails across Japan.
3 weeks ago
119 views
Bear-Free Prefectures in Japan: 9 Places to Hike and Camp Without Bears
Nine of Japan's 47 prefectures have zero bear incidents. Chiba, Okinawa, and all of Kyushu. Why they're bear-free, what to do there, and what other dangerous animals to watch for.
1 month ago
230 views
Japan's 100 Most Bear-Active Municipalities: The 2025 Data
We ranked 1,900+ Japanese municipalities by bear incidents in 2025. Akita City tops the list at 4,585. Sendai, Sapporo, and Kyoto City all make the top 100. The top 10 alone account for 26% of all 2025 incidents.
1 month ago
309 views
128,000 Bear Incidents in Japan: 8 Years of Niigata Data
Kumamap added 11,980 official Niigata Prefecture bear sighting records from its historical government database, pushing total incidents past 128,000. Here's what 8 years of data reveal about bear activity near Myoko Kogen, Naeba, and Niigata's top municipalities.
1 month ago
29 views
Hyaku Kuma Meizan: Japan's 100 Famous Mountains Ranked by Bear Safety
We ranked all 100 of Japan's famous Hyakumeizan mountains by bear incident data. Norikura tops the list at 735. Fuji is #47. Eleven mountains have zero.
1 month ago
136 views
Community: Ask Questions, Share Experiences
Kumamap now has a community hub. Ask questions before your trip, share trail experiences, upload photos, and discuss bear safety with other users. No account needed.
1 month ago
14 views
Fake Bear Videos: 60% of What You See Online Is AI-Generated
A Japanese newspaper found 60% of bear clips on TikTok were made with AI. A town retracted an official warning after the photo turned out to be fake. Here's what's real.
1 month ago
58 views
Comments: Share Local Bear Safety Info
Every area page and incident page on Kumamap now has comments. Share trail conditions, safety tips, and local knowledge with other hikers.
1 month ago
19 views
Hanami and Bears: Cherry Blossom Safety in Japan
Some of Japan's most famous cherry blossom spots are in bear country. We checked 116,000+ incidents against the top hanami destinations. Here's how safe each spot is.
1 month ago
328 views
Bear Hunting in Japan: Laws, the Hunter Crisis, and a Global Comparison
In 2024, bears were designated as managed wildlife for the first time. Japan's hunting license system, a severe shortage of hunters, over 9,000 bears culled per year, and how other countries compare.
1 month ago
362 views
Kumamap on LINE
Access bear incident data across Japan directly on LINE. Check area status, national trends, and report incidents - no app needed.
1 month ago
67 views
Data Update: 5 Prefectures Expanded
Added new data sources for Nara, Shiga, and Yamagata, and extended 2026 coverage for Ishikawa and Tochigi.
1 month ago
67 views
Municipality Search: Hyperlocal Bear Data
Explore bear incident data for 1,900+ cities, towns, and wards across Japan. Check safety levels for your exact neighborhood.
2 months ago
122 views
Trip Planner: Japan Bear Safety
Draw your exact hiking route and get segment-by-segment risk analysis, elevation data, and personalized safety intel.
3 months ago
93 views
Bear Risk Predictions for Japan
Kumamap now predicts bear encounter risk across Japan using 128,000+ historical incidents and exponential decay modeling. Plan safer hikes with real-time risk visualization.
3 months ago
108 views
Data Update: Chichibu Bear Incidents Added
Added 277 bear incidents from the Chichibu area covering 2023-2025.
3 months ago
101 views
Data Update: 7 Prefectures Expanded
Added 3 new prefectures and improved data collection for 4 more.
3 months ago
101 views
Japan Bear Data: 128K+ Visualized
We analyzed over 128,000 bear incidents across Japan from 2019-2025. See how Akita became the epicenter of Japan's bear crisis.
3 months ago
269 views
Bear Trends Japan 2025: A Deadly Year
Bears killed 13 people in Japan in 2025, the deadliest year since records began. Over 217 were injured. Here's what drove the crisis.
4 months ago
2,029 views
Bears in Japan: Species & Safety
Japan has two bear species that have killed 13 people in 2025 alone. Learn where they live, why encounters are surging, and how to stay safe.
4 months ago
1,184 views
Why Japan's Bears Aren't Hibernating
On December 7, 2025, a bear chased a snowboarder down a Nagano ski slope. With 13 fatalities and over 3,400 incidents in the past month alone, Japan's bear crisis has extended into winter. Here's what's driving it.
4 months ago
396 views
Kanji of the Year 2025: Japan Chose 熊 (Bear)
Japan selected 熊 as the 2025 Kanji of the Year after a record year of bear encounters. The character won by just 180 votes over 米 (rice).
4 months ago
230 views
Japan Bear Map: 128,000+ Incidents
128,000+ bear incidents from all 47 Japanese prefectures, translated and mapped. Official data, news, and community sightings for hiking safety.
4 months ago
1,542 views