This 7.0 km route from Akita to Akita Museum of Art crosses Akita. Over the past 30 days, 105 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of the route, including 13 in the past week. This route runs through Asian black bear habitat (native to Honshu and Shikoku). The most recent sighting was reported 9 hours ago near Akita, Akita; the location sits about 2.7 km from the start of the route and 2.5 km off the route line. The closest sighting to the route line was reported 4 days ago at Akita Terauchi-Koya, Akita, sitting about 1.9 km from the start and 424 m off the route line.
This is an active bear corridor. Rerouting or rescheduling your hike is strongly advised.
[Post] Body length about 1 meter. It went from the road into the brush.
Akita, Akita
Sighted while driving. Left into the brush on the west side. Body length 1 m. 100 m east of Komachi Stadium.
Akita, Akita
[Post] It ran across the yard and headed toward Kappei.
Akita Arayamatsumigaoka-higashicho, Akita
Sighted bears crossing the prefectural road from south to north. Body lengths: 1.0 m and 70 cm. Distance from the building: 5 m.
Akita Arayakatsuhiramachi, Akita
One bear was sighted crossing the municipal road from south to north toward the Omagari River. Body length 1.2 m. Distance from the building: 80 m.
Akita, Akita
[Post] While returning home, I was running toward the park.
Akita, Akita
Attempted to cross the Yokoyama-Kanaashi line, but there were many cars, and it kept coming in and out of the bushes.
Akita, Akita
[Post] I heard a noise outside, and when I looked I saw two bears.
Akita, Akita
It was sprinting through the field.
Akita, Akita
Spotted a bear about 0.5 m in size on the grounds north of the elementary school. Direction of travel unknown. 50 m from the building.
Akita Terauchi-Koya, Akita
Around 15:45 on May 11, 2026, a male elementary school student spotted a bear approximately 50 cm long in a grassland in Shōgunno Minami 1-chome, Akita City. The location is about 50 meters from Takashimizu Elementary School, and the local police station has advised residents to be cautious.
Akita Terauchi-Koya, Akita
[Report] While walking my dog, it crossed the road.
Akita, Akita
Ran through from the Ushi-no-sawa area toward the Sugi-sawa area.
Akita Koyoaoyagicho, Akita
[Post]
Akita, Akita
[Post] While driving by, it was attempting to climb the school fence
Akita Iijima-Bunkyocho, Akita
[Report] Probably a cub. It left the park and ran south.
Akita Arayaasahimachi, Akita
I went outside to take a walk and saw a bear about 100 meters away, so I immediately went back inside. It walked toward the direction of Iijima Minami Elementary School.
Akita, Akita
[Post] A moving black shape on a private property
Akita Iijima-Naganohoncho, Akita
[Report] While driving, I witnessed one cub (about 50 cm in length) sprinting up the west-side stairs of Iijima Elementary School grounds. I could not confirm any adult bear, but it may have been with the cub.
Akita Iijima-Matsunehigashicho, Akita
Walking from the dentist toward the bakery.
Akita, Akita
[Post] While passing by in a car, I saw two bears walking on the sidewalk.
Akita, Akita
Posted: Found in the park while walking. Based on its size, it appears to be a cub.
Akita, Akita
On 2026-05-06, one bear was captured at a supermarket in Akita City.
Akita Sanno, Akita
Around 20:50 on the 5th, a man in his teens resting in a nearby park spotted a bear about 1 meter long crossing a municipal road in Akita City's Niida Kiriage. According to the Akita Central Police Station, the bear was about 10 meters from a house and about 400 meters from Niida Elementary School; the station has warned residents to be cautious.
Akita, Akita
Sighted a bear on the road. Body length 1 m. Departed toward the rice fields to the east. 10 m from nearby houses.
Akita, Akita
(Posted) Went toward Iijima Minami Elementary School
Akita, Akita
[Post]
Akita, Akita
Was swimming
Akita, Akita
[Post]
Akita, Akita
Spotted a bear in a bamboo grove. Body length about 50 cm. It left heading south. About 100 m from nearby houses.
Akita, Akita
Sighted a bear in the brush about 200 m north of the bridge. About 50 m from nearby houses.
Akita, Akita
(Post) Was swimming in the river
Akita Kawashiri-Wakabamachi, Akita
Witnessed a bear crossing the road from east to west. Body length approximately 1 m. 100 m from nearby buildings.
Akita Iijima, Akita
Posted: Encountered during a walk. The bear seemed curious and approached the flashy traffic cone to look at it. Afterwards, it ran off into the depths (of the area).
Akita Arayaokawamachi, Akita
[Post]
Akita Arayaasahimachi, Akita
Around 10:00 on April 29, 2026, a roughly 1-meter black bear was sighted at a seaside breakwater in Akita City; footage showed it walking while sniffing the ground. A fishing event with many anglers was taking place nearby.
Akita Koyosaiwaicho, Akita
While working in the fields, a bear was sighted in the rice paddy. One bear, about 1 m. Approximately 80 m from the nearest house. The bear then left heading north.
Akita, Akita
Witnessed one bear entering the premises of Akita Kairiku Co., Ltd. Size over 1 m. Wandering around the site.
Akita Iijima, Akita
A bear appeared near a breakwater in Akita City, causing alarm among anglers and participants at a nearby fishing event. Sightings were reported repeatedly in the area, raising local concern.
Akita Sanno, Akita
Sighted one bear on the road in front of the entrance. It left toward the south. Body length 1.0 m. Distance from the residence: 5 m.
Akita Arayawariyamamachi, Akita
One bear sighted inside Akita Port International Container Terminal. Body length 1.0 m. Direction of departure unknown.
Akita Iijima, Akita
While driving from the Honjo direction, it emerged from the brush on the west side and then returned. Body length 1 m. 200 m to the nearest house.
Akita Arayashitakawaramachi, Akita
At around 13:50 on April 28, a single bear about 1 meter long was sighted near the south entrance of the Katsuhira Hamanasu Tunnel on the Akita South Bypass in Arai-machi, Akita City, by a man in his 70s driving by. The sighting location is about 200 meters from Akita Commercial High School and about 300 meters from the nearest house; the Akita Central Police are coordinating with relevant agencies, patrolling the area, and warning residents.
Akita, Akita
Witnessed one brown/black bear about 1 m tall entering the brush toward Prefectural Route 56 near the Chiyoda Kogyo factory.
Akita Iijima, Akita
[Post]
Akita Iijima, Akita
While driving on the prefectural road from Akita toward Katagami, I saw one bear crossing the road from east to west. It continued westward and left. Body length 1.0 m. 450 m from Akita Smelting Plant.
Akita Iijima, Akita
[Post]
Akita Iijima, Akita
[Report] Spotted walking along the fence inside the premises of Akita Thermal Power Plant. Believed to be a large adult, approximately over 1 meter in body length.
Akita Iijima, Akita
Observed one bear about 1–2 m (shoulder height) moving south near the main gate of Tohoku Electric Power Akita Thermal Power Station. It was 10 m from the main gate.
Akita Iijima, Akita
While driving a rental car from the mountain side toward Akita Station, I saw an animal cross about 100 meters ahead. When I passed about 20 meters beside it, I saw a large, light chestnut-colored animal running. Its body was considerably larger than a dog, so I thought it was a bear and was startled, and I drove on.
Akita, Akita
[Report] Spotted a bear crossing the river on my commute
Akita Kawashiri-Shinkawamachi, Akita
While walking the dog, I observed one bear approximately 1 m tall in a fallow rice field. It left heading northwest. It was 30 m from a building.
Akita Ushijima, Akita
Around 18:50 on April 26, 2026, a man in his 40s walking in a rice field in Osumiminami 1-chome, Akita City, saw a bear about 1 meter long walking. The sighting was reported to the Akita Central Police Station.
Akita Ushijima, Akita
[Report] Came up from the old rice field in front of the house onto the road, then returned to the old rice field.
Akita Ushijima, Akita
While I was eating in the car, I saw a dark, low shadow/shape.
Akita Arayatorikimachi, Akita
I saw it inside the tunnel.
Akita Arayaokitamachi, Akita
On April 25 before 9:00, staff and residents at a nursing home in Akita City spotted a large bear eating grass outside a glass door. The facility secured all exterior windows and closed curtains to protect residents; the bear then moved to the rear of the property and climbed a cliff.
Akita Sanno, Akita
Posted: Spotted while driving. Adult bear. Probably larger than the bears at Omoriyama Zoo.
Akita, Akita
I saw this while driving. A bear was walking in a residential neighborhood. It was an adult. It seemed larger than the bears you see at a zoo.
Akita Higashidori-myoden, Akita
Found while on a walk. It was playing on the swing.
Akita Arayatorikimachi, Akita
On April 25, 2026, a single bear was filmed eating grass inside the grounds of a nursing home in Akita City, seen through a glass door. Employees reported being frightened.
Akita Sanno, Akita
It ran off into the bushes. I heard the sound of it eating something. About 15 meters to the nearest house.
Akita Narayama-Otamachi, Akita
I was walking in the forest near the parking lot fence. Probably a cub.
Akita Arayatorikimachi, Akita
Walked toward the rice fields. Thought to be a cub.
Akita Niida-Konakajima, Akita
Observed one bear about 0.8 m tall on residential property. Direction of departure unknown. 5.0 m from a house.
Akita, Akita
I was watching the meteor shower when I heard a rustling from the drainage ditch. A large black bear ran by, and what looked like a cub followed. I was startled and called out, and the bear turned and looked back at us. Then it ran off to the south. It appeared to have crossed the road, and it’s possible it’s hiding on someone’s property. Be cautious of your surroundings when going toward the rice fields.
Akita Narayama-Jonanshinmachi, Akita
A bear-like animal was sighted. One bear about 1 m. It moved toward Senshu Park. About 40 m from nearby buildings.
Akita Senshu-kitanomaru, Akita
At around 18:50 on April 22, 2026, a man in his 30s spotted a bear about 1 meter long on a stone wall in Senshu Park in central Akita City. Police arrived but the bear had already disappeared; Meitoku Elementary School was about 40 meters away, and the Akita Central Police urged nearby residents and schools to be cautious.
Akita Senshu-kubotamachi, Akita
On April 22, 2026, one bear was sighted in central Akita City, Akita Prefecture. The bear was reported near Meitoku Elementary School and moved off toward Senshu Park.
Akita, Akita
A bear was sighted on the road on the west side of Akita Technical High School's ground. Body length 1.0 m. It left heading west. 30 m from the school ground.
Akita Senshu-kitanomaru, Akita
At around 14:15 on April 21, 2026, a single bear about 1 meter long was sighted on the west side of the Akita Technical High School ground in Hodono Hatcho, Akita City. The witness was a female student (middle-school-aged/teen), the bear then moved toward a residential area, and police have been patrolling the area and issuing warnings.
Akita Izumihigashimachi, Akita
In Akita Prefecture a police officer was reported injured after being attacked by a bear, and a woman's body was found nearby. Sightings of so‑called "spring bears" have surged after hibernation: as of 21 April at 21:00 there were about 200 reports in the prefecture, and experts say bears are waking earlier and many individuals are larger than usual.
Akita Sanno, Akita
[Post] Spotted a bear about 0.8 m tall in the grove in front of the apartment
Akita Arayaokawamachi, Akita
[Post] It was in the gap of a car and was looking inside the vehicle.
Akita, Akita
While driving, I sighted one bear about 1.0 m in body length on the sidewalk. It left heading southwest. 15 m from the nearest facility.
Akita Yamatedai 1-chome, Akita
[Post] Running along a narrow path through the rice fields
Akita Yamatedai 1-chome, Akita
In front of Nice, it was running through the rice fields. Police have been notified.
Akita Yamatedai 1-chome, Akita
Observed one bear approximately 1.0 m in body length in front of the residence on the roadway. It departed heading south. Distance from a house: 3.0 m.
Akita, Akita
[Post]
Akita Kamikitate-Aramaki, Akita
[Report] While driving, I saw a bear on shrine grounds. The bear noticed me and moved toward the mountain. About 1 m in size, 15 m from houses.
Akita Kamikitate-Aramaki, Akita
[Post] While walking the dog, I noticed a bear appearing down below about 1.5 m tall. It was fairly plump.
Akita, Akita
[Post] Inside Hitotsumori Park, from inside a car about 10 meters away, there were people walking and jogging nearby.
Akita, Akita
[Post] Footprints Found
Akita Arayayutakamachi, Akita
[Report] A bear on the road. It fled into a residential garden.
Akita, Akita
One bear approximately 1.0 m in body length was observed on the road in front of a house. It departed to the south. 10 m from the nearest house.
Akita, Akita
Spotted a bear about 0.8 m in size in the woods. It then moved further into the forest; direction of travel unknown. 100 m from buildings.
Akita, Akita
Witnessed a bear in a vacant lot. Size unknown. It left heading north. About 5 meters from a residence.
Akita Niida-Midoricho, Akita
In a residential area of Ushijima Higashi, Akita City, a security camera recorded a bear running across the road at around 05:42 on April 19; about 15 seconds later a pedestrian appeared, creating a near-collision situation. Sightings have increased across the prefecture in April, but no human injuries have been reported so far.
Akita Narayama-Jonanmachi, Akita
On April 19, 2026 at around 05:40, a security camera at a residence in Ushijima Higashi, Akita City captured footage of a bear about 1 meter long walking through a residential area. The same day, a man walking near JR Ugo-Ushijima Station also spotted the bear, and police have urged caution in the Ushijima Higashi area.
Akita Ushijimahigashi 5-chome, Akita
Sighted a bear approximately 0.5 m in size on the road. It left heading north. 5 m from a residence.
Akita Ushijimahigashi 5-chome, Akita
[Post] Entered the parking area of a residence
Akita Osumi 1-chome, Akita
Sighted a bear approximately 1.0 m in size on the road. It departed southeast. 5 m from a house.
Akita Osumi 1-chome, Akita
[Report] Ran through the intersection heading toward the Akita Bank Oroshimachi branch
Akita Barajima 7-chome, Akita
A bear was sighted on the road. Size approximately 1.0 m. It moved off toward the south. 3 m from a house.
Akita Arayamotomachi, Akita
[Report] Came out from near the apartment parking lot, walked to partway along the sidewalk, then turned back into the bushes.
Akita, Akita
It ran from the riverside toward the residential area.
Akita Barajima 6-chome, Akita
Witnessed a bear moving north from the riverbed area while driving on the road. Size approximately 1.0 m. 30 m from houses.
Akita Barajima 7-chome, Akita
It ran out from the apartment parking lot onto the road, ran in front of my car, and went into the former Jujo Golf Practice Range site.
Akita Arayaokawamachi, Akita
Sighted a bear on the road. Size about 0.8 m. It then walked off to the east. 10 m from a house.
Akita Arayaokawamachi, Akita
Spotted a bear approximately 1.5 m in size on the roadway. It then moved east. 5 meters from a residence.
Akita Arayamotomachi, Akita
Akita Arayakuritamachi, Akita
Posted: It was captured on the security camera.
Akita Arayamotomachi, Akita
Observed a bear moving from the southwest to the northwest within the residence. Size about 1.5 m. 3 m from a dwelling.
Akita Arayakuritamachi, Akita
Post: Police were broadcasting and going around telling people to refrain from going outside because a bear had appeared.
Akita Arayamotomachi, Akita
On the evening of April 18, 2026, a home security camera in Akitashi, Arayamotomachi recorded a bear about 1 meter long walking on the property. Sightings were reported nearby and the filmer submitted the information to the prefectural bear information map (Kuma-das).
Akita Arayamotomachi, Akita
Peak activity at 18:00 with 16 incidents
Ursus thibetanus japonicus
Safety picks and trail essentials, top-rated on Amazon and Rakuten.
For mountain rescue, call 110 (police). They will coordinate with local rescue teams.
Draw any route in Japan and get the same bear-safety report, built around the trip you're actually taking.
No comments yet.
Over the past 30 days, 105 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of this route, including 13 in the past week. This route runs through Asian black bear habitat (native to Honshu and Shikoku).
The most recent sighting was reported 9 hours ago near Akita, Akita; the location sits about 2.7 km from the start of the route and 2.5 km off the route line.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 18:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 7.0 km route from Akita to Akita Museum of Art crosses Akita. Over the past 30 days, 105 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of the route, including 13 in the past week. This route runs through Asian black bear habitat (native to Honshu and Shikoku). The most recent sighting was reported 9 hours ago near Akita, Akita; the location sits about 2.7 km from the start of the route and 2.5 km off the route line. The closest sighting to the route line was reported 4 days ago at Akita Terauchi-Koya, Akita, sitting about 1.9 km from the start and 424 m off the route line. This is an active bear corridor. Rerouting or rescheduling your hike is strongly advised.
