This 92.7 km route from Akita to Odate crosses Akita. Over the past 30 days, 136 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of the route, including 27 in the past week. This route runs through Asian black bear habitat (native to Honshu and Shikoku). The most recent sighting was reported 1 day ago near Odate Nagasaka, Akita; the location sits about 79.9 km from the start of the route and 28 m off the route line. The closest sighting to the route line was reported 3 days ago at Odate, Akita, sitting about 87.1 km from the start and 1 m off the route line.
This is an active bear corridor. Rerouting or rescheduling your hike is strongly advised.
A driver traveling on National Route 7 observed one bear (body length 1 m) in a rice field / direction of travel unknown / 100 m from the nearest residence
Odate Nagasaka, 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
A passerby sighted one bear (body length 1.0 m) crossing the road from east to west and leaving the area.
Odate Yachimachi-ushiro, 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
A passerby sighted one bear (body length approx. 1.0 m) / direction of travel: north / about 300 m south of Shimokawa River Middle School
Odate, Akita
Observed one bear about 1 meter in body length crossing the prefectural road from north to south. It was about 200 meters from nearby facilities.
Kitaakita Kidoishi, Akita
[Report] While walking my dog, it crossed the road.
Akita, Akita
[Post] Ran from the residential area toward the rice field
Odate Negeto, Akita
There were two on the tree and one under the tree.
Katagami, Akita
Ran through from the Ushi-no-sawa area toward the Sugi-sawa area.
Akita Koyoaoyagicho, Akita
A bear about 120 cm long walked from the athletic area, came up to look around, walked a little, then went back. It was about 20 meters away.
Akita, Akita
Driver sighted one bear (body length about 1.0 m) / direction of travel unknown / approximately 300 m west of Odate Police Station
Odate, Akita
[Post]
Akita, Akita
[Post] While driving by, it was attempting to climb the school fence
Akita Iijima-Bunkyocho, Akita
【Post】
Odate Katayama, Akita
Seen by nearby residents / Direction of movement unknown / About 250 m south of Katsura Sakura High School
Odate, Akita
Odate, Akita
Crossed the road and went toward Katsura/Sakura High School
Odate, Akita
Odate, 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
A local resident sighted one bear (about 1.0 m in body length) / direction of travel: south / approximately 50 m from the nearest house
Odate, Akita
At around 08:40 on May 8, a man in his 60s working in a field in Nukazawa Nakatani-chi, Tsuzureko, Kitaakita City, spotted a bear about 1.2 meters long. The nearest building was about 10 meters away; the Kitaakita Police patrolled by patrol car and warned residents.
Kitaakita Tsuzureko, Akita
Witnessed one bear about 1 meter long in the grassy area near a railroad crossing. Approximately 60 meters from nearby houses.
Kitaakita, 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
[Post] There was a black animal in the forest, and when I went to see it, it was a mother bear and her cubs. When I went closer, they ran away.
Katagami, Akita
[Post]
Odate Kohakama, Akita
Saw it in the grass
Odate Negeto, Akita
During farm work, one bear was sighted. Body length approximately 1.2 m. It departed heading north toward Sugawara Shrine.
Akita, Akita
A local resident sighted one bear (body length 1.0 m) / moving south / approximately 150 m from the nearest elementary school
Odate Negeto, Akita
[Post]
Odate Negeto, Akita
A nearby resident sighted one bear (body length 1.0 m) / moving north / approximately 30 m from the nearest house
Odate Ikenai-michiue, Akita
Walked through the premises
Odate Ikenai-michiue, Akita
Driver sighted one bear (body length 1.5 m) moving west; approximately 10 m from Ken-ei Hagino-dai housing complex.
Odate Ikenai-michiue, Akita
[Report] Crossed national highway — over 1 meter
Odate, Akita
Local resident sighted one bear (body length 1.5 m) / moving west / approximately 80 m from the nearest house
Odate, Akita
Posted: Moving west along the irrigation channel beside the rice fields. Witnessed while driving, so subsequent actions are unknown.
Odate, Akita
Sighted near 60-1, Kitano, Tenno, Katagami City. Moving west.
Katagami, Akita
On a municipal road in Ikeuchi, Odate City, a woman in her 40s driving a car spotted a bear.
Odate Ikenai, Akita
A nearby resident sighted one bear (body length 1.2 m). Direction of travel: west. Bear departed toward the nearby cemetery. Approximately 10 m from the nearest house.
Odate, Akita
At around 19:15 on the 6th, a man in his 40s driving by spotted a bear about 1.2 meters long on the grounds of a house in Yamadate Aza-Ueno, Odate City, Akita Prefecture. The Odate Police contacted related agencies and are patrolling the area in police cars, issuing warnings to residents.
Odate, Akita
[Report] An individual approximately 1.5 m in size is on the facility grounds. It crossed the road in front of the facility and entered the brush to the east.
Ikawa 寺沢, Akita
A small bear-like animal crossed the road. It went north.
Ikawa 今戸, Akita
On 2026-05-06, one bear was captured at a supermarket in Akita City.
Akita Sanno, Akita
Posted: Witnessed a small bear cub running into the woods from a car. 39.8113147, 140.0421385
Katagami, Akita
(Posted) Went toward Iijima Minami Elementary School
Akita, Akita
It swam across the Matomigawa River and ran off toward the mountains. It was a large bear.
Akita, Akita
I thought it was a black lump, but it was a bear crossing the river. It was large.
Akita, Akita
Observed a bear at the foot of the bridge. Body length approximately 1 m. It left heading east. Nearest houses about 100 m away.
Akita, Akita
At about 15:40 on the 5th, a bear about 1 meter long was seen crossing a road in Miyata, Kanaashi Horinai, Akita City by a woman in her 40s driving. The nearest house was about 100 meters away, and the Akita Rinko Police Station has warned residents to be cautious.
Akita, Akita
(Posted) It was on the road; when I shouted loudly it ran off toward Deto Elementary School.
Katagami, Akita
[Post] A large individual about 1.5 m in length.
Gojome 内川浅見内, Akita
I went to the prefectural museum.
Akita Kanaashi-Koizumi, Akita
Posted: Crossed while driving on the highway
Hachirogata Koike, Akita
A 1.0 m bear was sighted on a municipal road near Tennō Minami Junior High School. It was reported to have moved off eastward.
Katagami, Akita
Around 16:40 near Tenno Aza Oiwake Nishi, a 1.0 m bear was sighted. It briefly climbed a tree and then left. Direction it departed is unknown.
Katagami, Akita
At around 16:50, there was a sighting of a 1.0 m bear on a city road near Tennō Minami Junior High School. It was reported to have left heading east.
Katagami, Akita
Around 16:40 on the 4th, a woman in her 40s from Katagami City saw a bear about 1 meter long crossing a municipal road in Tennō Oiwake-nishi. The bear was about 5 meters from a private house; multiple sightings were reported in the area and the Gojōme police station has urged residents to be cautious.
Katagami, Akita
[Post]
Akita, Akita
[Post]
Akita, Akita
I can't be sure it was a bear, but a dark-colored animal (about 50–60 cm) was on the gravel road. It walked east.
Ikawa 今戸, 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 one Asiatic black bear (Tsukinowaguma) behind the Isedotai Jomon Museum. It appeared to be eating something in the grass.
Kitaakita Wakigami, Akita
Witnessed a bear crossing the road from east to west. Body length approximately 1 m. 100 m from nearby buildings.
Akita Iijima, Akita
One 1.5 m bear. Moving from the FamilyMart toward Detohama.
Katagami, Akita
At approximately 09:40, a 1.5 m bear was sighted on the prefectural road in Tenno, Shimohamayama. Direction of departure unknown.
Katagami, Akita
Around 09:40 on April 30, 2026, a bear about 1 meter long was sighted on the roadside of a prefectural road near Shimo-Hamayama, Tenno, Katagami City, by a man in his 40s driving a car from Akita City. According to the Gojome Police, the nearest house is about 50 meters away; patrol cars issued warnings and urged residents to be cautious.
Katagami Tenno, Akita
While traveling from Oiwake toward Oga, it entered the roadside brush on the right and went into the bushes on the left side of the road.
Katagami, Akita
While driving, one bear (about 1.0 m in length) was sighted / direction of travel: northeast / approximately 50 m to the nearest house
Odate, 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
When I got into my car on my property, a single bear about 1.2 m tall was right beside me (0.5 m away). When I shouted loudly, it left toward the north (Koizumigata Park direction). Distance from the house: 5 m.
Akita, 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
One bear sighted inside Akita Port International Container Terminal. Body length 1.0 m. Direction of departure unknown.
Akita Iijima, 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
Spotted one bear about 1.2 m in length in the grassy area near the facility. It then moved south. Approximately 30 m from the nearby facility.
Kitaakita Isecho, 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
Spotted one bear of unknown body length in a grassy area. Approximately 10 meters from a house. Subsequent direction of departure unknown.
Kitaakita Wakigami, Akita
A single bear walked south between the houses. About 5 meters from a residence.
Kitaakita Miyamaecho, Akita
At around 11:20 on April 28, 2026, a bear about 80 cm long was sighted in the grounds of a vacant house in Akagawadai, Wakigami, Kitaakita City, Akita Prefecture by a woman in her 60s living next door. The Kitaakita police said the nearest house was about 20 meters away and urged residents to be cautious.
Kitaakita Wakigami, 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
One bear about 1.5 meters. It moved south through the intersection and entered the brush.
Katagami, Akita
[Post]
Gojome 川崎, Akita
At around 19:10 on April 27, on a prefectural road in Tenno, Katagami City, a police patrol car collided with a bear about 1.5 meters long. The three officers on board were uninjured, and the bear left the scene afterward.
Katagami Tenno, Akita
[Sighting] Crossing Prefectural Route 56 from the seaside toward the inland
Katagami, Akita
While a vehicle was in motion, one bear (approximately 1.0 m in body length) was sighted / Direction of travel: east / Approximately 50 m to the nearest residence
Odate, Akita
At around 16:50 on April 27, 2026, a man in his 30s driving in Odate City, Karasawa Inariyama-shimo, spotted one bear about 1 meter long on the road. The nearest house is about 50 meters away and there is a hospital in the area; the police are patrolling the vicinity and urging residents to be cautious.
Odate Karasawa, 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
A staff member at a nearby facility sighted one bear (body length unknown) / direction of travel unknown / approximately 150 meters from the nearest facility
Odate Shakanai, Akita
In the forest at Odate City, Shakainai, at around 10:20 a.m. on the 27th, school staff spotted one bear about 50 cm in length. The nearest house is about 30 meters away and Shakainai Elementary School about 10 meters; the police notified related agencies, are patrolling the area with patrol cars, and have warned residents to be cautious.
Odate Shakanai, Akita
A single bear (body length 1.0 m) was sighted by nearby residents / moving east / approximately 100 m from the nearest house
Odate Niida, Akita
[Post]
Kitaakita Masuzawa, Akita
After coming up from the river, it appears to have headed toward the mountains.
Kitaakita Haneyama, Akita
Spotted one bear about 1 m in body length in the grassy area near the bridge. Its subsequent direction of departure is unknown. Approximately 300 m to the nearest house.
Kitaakita Masuzawa, Akita
At around 18:35 on the 26th, a roughly 1.5-meter bear was seen crossing a national road in Tenno, Katagami (Aza Kamanuma) by a man in his 60s who was driving. According to the Gojome police, the bear was about 40 meters from nearby buildings, and the police have urged residents to be cautious.
Katagami Tenno, Akita
[Report] Sighted a cub
Akita, Akita
Tried to cross the highway, noticed my own car, and turned back.
Akita, Akita
One bear (body length 0.5 m) seen eating something along the water channel / direction of travel: northwest / 200 m northwest of Shakainai Elementary School
Odate Shakanai, Akita
Around 12:00 on April 25, 2026, a bear approximately 50 cm long was sighted on the grounds of a private house in Aizenei(?) (Shaka-nai Aosen-dai), Odate City, Akita Prefecture. A man in his 50s working in the garden spotted it, and the Odate police are patrolling the area by patrol car and warning residents.
Odate Shakanai, 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
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
At around 11:00 AM, a resident spotted an Asiatic black bear (about 1.5 m in length) within the settlement. The direction it left afterward is unknown.
Kamikoani Okitaomote, Akita
At around 10:00 a.m., several facility staff and others spotted one Asiatic black bear (about 1 meter in body length) near the communal lodging and exchange facility “Coanity” and the Kamikoani Nursery School. The bear later moved south.
Kamikoani Fukudate, Akita
At around 9:50 a.m., staff of Kamikoani Elementary and Junior High School sighted a single Asiatic black bear (about 1 meter in body length) near the village cemetery area close to the school. The direction in which it subsequently left is unknown.
Kamikoani Fukudate, Akita
Local resident sighted one bear (body length 0.6 m) / direction of travel unknown / approximately 10 m from the nearest house
Odate Shakanai, Akita
At around 7:30 a.m. on the 24th, a walking man in his 30s spotted a bear about 50 cm long in a grassy area in Shakainai, Odate City, Akita Prefecture. According to the Odate police station, the nearest house is about 40 meters away, and the station has warned residents to be cautious.
Odate Shakanai, Akita
A driver sighted one bear (body length unknown) in the woods beside a city road / direction of travel unknown / 150 m south of Shakanai Elementary School
Odate, Akita
At around 15:30 on April 23, 2026, a police officer on patrol spotted one bear about 50 cm long in a grassy area in Shakainai, Odate City. The nearest house was about 40 meters away; police contacted related agencies, increased patrols by police car, and warned residents to be cautious.
Odate Shakanai, Akita
Observed one bear about 0.8 m tall on residential property. Direction of departure unknown. 5.0 m from a house.
Akita, Akita
A local resident sighted one bear (body length unknown) in the forest beside a municipal road / direction of travel unknown / 150 m south of Shakanai Elementary School
Odate, Akita
At around 08:20 on April 22, 2026, a bear about 50 cm long was sighted in a grass field in Shakakunai, Odate City by a woman in her 30s driving through the area. The bear was about 10 meters from the nearest house; authorities were notified and patrol cars have been warning residents and monitoring the area.
Odate Shakanai, Akita
A driver traveling on a municipal road sighted one bear (body length 1 m) / direction of travel: northwest / 400 m south of Odate Daiichi Junior High School
Odate Negeto, Akita
A local resident sighted one bear (body length 0.5 m) in the woods beside the municipal road / heading east / 150 m south of Shakanai Elementary School
Odate, Akita
At around 16:50 on the 21st, a woman in her 30s at home in Shakanai, Odate City, Akita Prefecture, sighted a bear about 50 cm long. According to the Odate police, the bear was about 10 meters from the nearest house, and authorities warned residents to be cautious.
Odate Shakanai, Akita
[Post] There was a cub
Odate, 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
A nearby resident sighted one bear (body length 0.5 m) / direction of travel unknown / inside residential property
Odate Shakanai, Akita
A nearby resident spotted one bear (body length 60 cm) / direction of travel unknown / about 10 m from the nearest house
Odate Shakanai, Akita
[Report] Nearby resident sighted one bear (body length 60 cm) / Direction of travel unknown / Approximately 10 m from the nearest house
Odate Shakanai, Akita
A local resident sighted one bear (body length 1 m) / heading northeast / 300 m northeast of the Ikenai Ramp entrance intersection on National Route 103.
Odate Ikenai-michiue, Akita
One bear approximately 1 meter in body length sighted in a grassy area. It then departed to the southwest. About 30 meters from nearby facilities.
Kitaakita Nanukaichi, Akita
A passerby sighted one bear (body length 0.5 m) in the woods beside a municipal road / direction of movement unknown / 150 m south of Shakauchi Elementary School
Odate, Akita
Around 10:00 a.m. on the 16th, a male worker spotted a bear about 50 cm long in a forest in Odate City, Shakanai Aizome-dai, Akita Prefecture. According to the Odate Police, the site is about 30 meters from the nearest house; patrol cars are warning residents and monitoring the area.
Odate Shakanai, Akita
A passerby spotted one bear (body length 0.5 m) in the woods beside a municipal road / direction of travel unknown / 150 m south of Shakauchi Elementary School
Odate, Akita
Peak activity at 16:00 with 13 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, 136 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of this route, including 27 in the past week. This route runs through Asian black bear habitat (native to Honshu and Shikoku).
The most recent sighting was reported 1 day ago near Odate Nagasaka, Akita; the location sits about 79.9 km from the start of the route and 28 m off the route line.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 16:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 92.7 km route from Akita to Odate crosses Akita. Over the past 30 days, 136 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of the route, including 27 in the past week. This route runs through Asian black bear habitat (native to Honshu and Shikoku). The most recent sighting was reported 1 day ago near Odate Nagasaka, Akita; the location sits about 79.9 km from the start of the route and 28 m off the route line. The closest sighting to the route line was reported 3 days ago at Odate, Akita, sitting about 87.1 km from the start and 1 m off the route line. This is an active bear corridor. Rerouting or rescheduling your hike is strongly advised.
