This 91.7 km route from Aomori Prefecture Tourist Center to Kazuno crosses Aomori and Akita. Over the past 30 days, 18 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of the route, including 6 in the past week. This route runs through Asian black bear habitat (native to Honshu and Shikoku). The most recent sighting was reported 12 hours ago near Odate, Akita; the location sits about 76.2 km from the start of the route and 3.1 km off the route line. The closest sighting to the route line was reported 3 weeks ago at Kazuno 横道, Akita, sitting about 82.0 km from the start and 13 m off the route line.
At this density of recent sightings, consider rescheduling or choosing a different trail until activity quiets.
Driver sighted one bear (about 1 m in length) / direction of travel: east / approximately 300 m to the nearest house
Odate, Akita
Around 16:00 on May 7, bear-like footprints were found in Saihatake (幸畑), Aomori City. No damage has been confirmed; the site is southeast of the Hakkoda Mountain Snow March Disaster Museum, and the city is urging nearby residents and passersby to be cautious.
Aomori Kobata, Aomori
A bear about 1 meter long was sighted near Nagasaka River around 14:00 on May 7 in Kamitokawa Tomokawa No.4 (and boundary with No.5) in Kuroishi City. The city is considering installing a box trap; a bear was also seen around 07:10 on May 6 at nearly the same spot, and sightings were reported nearby on May 3 and May 5.
Kuroishi, Aomori
At around 07:10 on May 6, 2026, a single bear about 1 meter long was sighted near the Nagasaka Riverbed at the boundary between Tomeoka No.4 and No.5 in Kamitogawa, Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture. After the sighting, the bear moved toward the Aoyama/Takeda-cho area.
Kuroishi 竹田町, Aomori
On May 5, 2026 at around 01:20, a bear about 1.5 meters long was sighted near a field in the Hakkō area of Kuroishi City. At around 04:20, another bear of unknown size was sighted near a different field in the same area a few hundred meters away.
Kuroishi 八甲, Aomori
Rice paddy / Body length 1 m / 200 m from a residence / 50 m from sighting Vehicle was driving on the road when a bear was discovered in the rice paddy. The bear moved west toward the direction of a waste processing facility.
Kosaka Araya, Akita
[Post] Witnessed crossing the Jukai Line from south to north
Kosaka, Akita
[Post] Spotted a bear cub alone on the highway
Kosaka, Akita
Beside the national highway in brush/Body length ~1 m/40 m from a residence/About 5 m from the witness While passing on the national highway by vehicle, I saw a bear sitting at the edge of the mountain beside the road. Because I drove past it, I do not know which direction it left. Afterwards the police checked the area but did not find the bear.
Kazuno Osarizawa, Akita
At around 17:40 on April 19, 2026, in Tsurugasaka, Aomori City, a single bear about 1.5 meters long crossed the road from north to south and came into contact with a car. The city is urging people to report sightings or tracks and to avoid leaving garbage outdoors.
Aomori Tsurugasaka, Aomori
Crossed the road and climbed up the steep embankment on the right.
Kazuno 下長根, Akita
[Report] One bear about 1 meter tall near the side just before the bridge along Route 7.
Odate Nagabashiri, Akita
While driving on the highway (northbound), a vehicle observed a single bear approximately 50 centimeters in body length occupying the roadway. When a responding police vehicle arrived and sounded its siren, the bear moved off the road through a gap in the highway fence and was confirmed to have departed toward the forested area to the northeast.
Kazuno, Akita
At around 09:30 on the 15th, a single bear about 50 cm in length was seen sitting on the northbound lanes of the Tohoku Expressway in Hachimantai-Shimokuzureoka, Kazuno City. When police arrived and sounded their sirens, the bear left the road through a gap in the fence and entered the forested hills to the northeast.
Kazuno, Akita
[Post]
Kosaka, Akita
Public facility plaza / body length 1.2 m / 20 m from houses, etc. The bear was seen from inside the facility moving north through the plaza, crossing the national highway and heading north. Distance to the witness approximately 100 m.
Kazuno 横道, Akita
Municipal road / body length 1.2 m / 20 m to a house / about 100 m from the witness. It was walking along the rice-field path under the highway toward the houses. The black thing in the center of the attached photo is the bear.
Kazuno 土ヶ久保, Akita
[Post]
Kosaka Kosaka-kozan, Akita
Peak activity at 9:00 with 3 incidents
Ursus thibetanus japonicus
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Over the past 30 days, 18 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of this route, including 6 in the past week. This route runs through Asian black bear habitat (native to Honshu and Shikoku).
The most recent sighting was reported 12 hours ago near Odate, Akita; the location sits about 76.2 km from the start of the route and 3.1 km off the route line.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 9:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 91.7 km route from Aomori Prefecture Tourist Center to Kazuno crosses Aomori and Akita. Over the past 30 days, 18 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of the route, including 6 in the past week. This route runs through Asian black bear habitat (native to Honshu and Shikoku). The most recent sighting was reported 12 hours ago near Odate, Akita; the location sits about 76.2 km from the start of the route and 3.1 km off the route line. The closest sighting to the route line was reported 3 weeks ago at Kazuno 横道, Akita, sitting about 82.0 km from the start and 13 m off the route line. At this density of recent sightings, consider rescheduling or choosing a different trail until activity quiets.
