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This 158 km route runs from Iwaki to Minamiaizu within Fukushima. In the past 30 days, 46 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 1 of them. The latest sighting was reported 2 days ago near Tamura, Fukushima.
This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
A bear was sighted in Hirose-Hanmonba, Takine-machi, Tamura City around 12:50 on July 10.
Tamura, Fukushima
On Monday, June 29 at approximately 5:30 a.m., in the forested area of Futaishi Nakayama in Shirakawa City, a man in his 40s driving a vehicle sighted one bear (about 1 meter in length).
Shirakawa 南池下, Fukushima
One bear was seen in a forest area in Futaishi Nakayama, Shirakawa City.
Shirakawa 南池下, Fukushima
On Sunday, June 28 at approximately 9:50 a.m., on the Joban Nakoso Line (major prefectural road) in Tsukada, Hiruno, Watanabe-machi, Iwaki City, a witness (a woman in her 20s) driving near the sighting location observed one bear (about 1 meter in body length) near the rice fields beside the road.
Iwaki 中部工業団地, Fukushima
Around 09:50 on 2026-06-28, a bear was sighted in Watanabe-cho Hiruno, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture.
Iwaki 渡辺町昼野, Fukushima
On Saturday, June 27 at approximately 6:13 p.m., on National Route 121 in the Itasawayama area of Nagano, Minamiaizu Town, a passenger car driven by a woman in her 40s, while traveling east on Route 121, collided with a bear (about 1 m in length) that emerged from the forest to the north. After the collision, the bear left heading south toward the riverbank, and its subsequent whereabouts are unknown.
Minamiaizu, Fukushima
On Friday, June 26 at around 6:30 p.m., on National Route 121 in the Mukaiyama area of Nagano, Minamiaizu Town, a passenger car driven by a man in his twenties, while traveling westbound, collided with a bear (approximately 50 cm in body length) that was attempting to cross the road from south to north. After the collision, the bear left toward the riverbank to the south and its subsequent whereabouts are unknown.
Minamiaizu Nagano, Fukushima
On Friday, June 26 at around 11:40 a.m., in forested land in Makabune Akirii area, Saigo Village, a man in his 50s, while working outdoors, sighted one bear (approximately 1 m in length) in the forest.
Nishigo 大字鶴生, Fukushima
On Wednesday, June 24 at around 10:00 p.m., on a road within the Iwaki City Yoshima Industrial Park, a witness (male in his 20s) while driving saw one bear (about 1.5 m in length) cross the road from south to north ahead of his vehicle. The bear’s subsequent movements are unknown.
Iwaki 好間工業団地, Fukushima
In Yoshima Industrial Park, Iwaki City, a man driving a vehicle saw one bear.
Iwaki 好間工業団地, Fukushima
On Wednesday, June 24 at approximately 7:03 p.m., in the Yabari area of Shimogō Town on Prefectural Route Toaka-Eitomi, a witness (male in his 60s) who was driving eastbound on the road spotted one bear (about 1 m in length) lying on the roadway. The bear ran into the forested area to the north and its subsequent whereabouts are unknown.
Shimogo 大字栄富, Fukushima
One bear was seen lying on the Toga-Sakae Tomi Prefectural Road in Anbaru, Shimogo Town, around 19:03.
Shimogo, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 23 at around 6:25 p.m., on a town road in the Shioniwa area of Ono Town, a female witness driving north on the road saw one animal believed to be a bear (about 1 m in body length) crossing the road from east to west. The animal then ran off toward the mountains to the west.
Ono Shioniwa, Fukushima
An animal believed to be a bear crossed a town road in Shio-niwa.
Ono Shioniwa, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 23 at approximately 11:45 a.m., in Osandanchi, Nagano, Minamiaizu Town, a witness (male in his 70s) was doing weeding in a managed area of mountain cherry trees when he spotted one bear (about 1 m in length) walking on the west side of the managed area. The bear wandered through the managed area and entered the mountain forest; its subsequent whereabouts are unknown.
Minamiaizu Nagano, Fukushima
A man in his 70s spotted a bear about 1 meter long while doing weed removal at a Yamazakura-managed site in Naganoosandan, Minamiaizu Town; the bear then went into the forest.
Minamiaizu Nagano, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 23 at approximately 7:19 a.m., on the road in Ikenoue, Oshinjo, Daishin, Shirakawa City, a man in his 40s, while driving, saw one bear (about 1 m in length) cross the road and head into the forest.
Shirakawa 大信上新城, Fukushima
A bear was sighted in Oishinashinjō Ikenoue, Shirakawa City.
Shirakawa 大信上新城, Fukushima
Around 11:55 a.m. on Monday, June 22, a witness (a man in his 60s) spotted a bear (about 1 m in body length) climbing the slope of a mountain to the east while he was doing farm work in the Hachimammae area, Tabe, Minamiaizu Town. The bear continued up the slope into the forested mountain area and its subsequent whereabouts are unknown.
Minamiaizu Tabe, Fukushima
One bear was sighted in Tabu Hachimanmae, Minamiaizu Town.
Minamiaizu Tabe, Fukushima
A man in his 60s working on farm tasks spotted one bear climbing a mountain slope in Tabu, Minamiaizu Town.
Minamiaizu Tabe, Fukushima
On Sunday, June 21 at around 12:25 p.m., a witness (female in her 60s) driving a vehicle in the Kaminobusaka area of Nagano, Minamiaizu Town, observed a bear (about 1 m in body length) crossing the town road from south to north. The bear’s subsequent whereabouts are unknown.
Minamiaizu Nagano, Fukushima
Around 12:25 on 2026-06-21 in Nagano Kamisaka, Minamiaizu Town, one bear about 1 m long was seen crossing a town road.
Minamiaizu Nagano, Fukushima
On Saturday, June 20 at around 1:50 p.m., in the Yoshima Industrial Park area of Iwaki City, a witness (male in his 30s) observed, while driving, one animal believed to be a bear (approximately 1 meter in body length) crossing the road.
Iwaki 好間工業団地, Fukushima
One bear-like animal was seen crossing a road in the Yoshima Industrial Park area of Iwaki City.
Iwaki 好間工業団地, Fukushima
On Saturday, June 20 at approximately 5:20 a.m., in Mine-ne within Miyamachi, Uchigo, Iwaki City, a male witness driving a vehicle observed a bear (about 1 meter in body length) crossing the road and entering the mountains.
Iwaki 内郷宮町, Fukushima
One bear was seen crossing a road and entering the mountains in Mine, Uchigo-Miyamachi, Iwaki City.
Iwaki 内郷宮町, Fukushima
Around 1:20 p.m. on Friday, June 19, in Tabebara, Tajima, Minamiaizu Town, a witness (male in his 50s) saw a bear about 50 cm in body length near a shrine to the north while mowing grass. The bear then ran toward the river to the north and its subsequent whereabouts are unknown.
Minamiaizu Tabe, Fukushima
On Friday, June 19 at around 9:00 a.m., in the Odagawa Ushishimizu area of Shirakawa City, while driving through a mountain forest, a man in his 50s sighted one animal believed to be a bear (approximately 1 m in body length) in the mountain forest.
Shirakawa 豊地, Fukushima
In Shirakawa City Odagawa Ushimizu, around 09:00, one bear-like animal measuring 1 m was in a forest.
Shirakawa 豊地, Fukushima
On 2026-06-19 afternoon, one bear was seen moving in Tabebara, Tajima, Minamiaizu Town, Fukushima.
Minamiaizu Tabe, Fukushima
At approximately 4:24 p.m. on Thursday, June 18, on National Route 121 in the Shimoozawa area of Nagano, Minamiaizu Town, a passenger car driven by a woman in her 70s, while traveling westbound, collided with a bear (about 50 cm in body length) that was crossing the road from south to north. After the collision, the bear continued north and entered the forest. The vehicle sustained minor damage. No human injuries or other property damage were confirmed.
Minamiaizu Tando, Fukushima
On Wednesday, June 17 at around 7:10 a.m., in Onago-Odakasakaimachi Onigoshi area, Iwaki City, a witness (male teenager) sighted one bear (body length 50 cm) walking in a nearby irrigation canal while he was walking. No human or property damage has been confirmed. There was one other similar report.
Iwaki 内郷御台境町, Fukushima
One bear about 0.5 m long was sighted walking in a drainage canal in Oki-no-koshi, Uchigo-Odaizaka-machi, Iwaki City.
Iwaki 内郷御台境町, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 16 at approximately 1:05 p.m., an man in his 80s, while doing farm work in a forested area of Atagoyama in Daishin Masumi, Shirakawa City, sighted two bears in the woods (one about 1 m in body length and the other about 50 cm).
Shirakawa 大信増見, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 16 at around 11:20 a.m., on Route 289 in the Inhira area of Minamikurazawa, Shimogō, a witness (male in his 50s) reported that while driving from Shimogō toward Nishigō Village, he saw a bear (about 1 m in length) emerge from the mountains on the left side of the road. The bear noticed the car and returned into the mountains.
Shimogo 大字大松川, Fukushima
Around 04:25 on 2026-06-16, a bear-like animal was sighted in Yoshima-machi Oriogawasaki, Iwaki City.
Iwaki 好間町大利, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 16 at approximately 4:25 a.m., in the Ogawasaki area of Oari, Yoshima-machi, Iwaki City, a witness (male in his 60s) driving a vehicle observed one animal believed to be a bear (approximately 1 meter in body length) crossing the road.
Iwaki 好間町大利, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 16 at around 4:00 a.m., on a village road in Obokura (Obokura, Habisawa area), Saigō Village, a man driving a car sighted one bear (approximately 1 m in body length).
Nishigo, Fukushima
A bear was sighted at Atagoyama in Oshin Masumi, Shirakawa City.
Shirakawa 大信増見, Fukushima
While taking a break inside the vehicle, they observed one bear (approximately 0.5 m in body length) crossing the road.
Minamiaizu Nagano, Fukushima
On Sunday, June 14, at approximately 4:45 p.m., in the Dosshita area of Nagano, Minamiaizu Town, a witness (male in his 70s) observed one bear (about 50 cm in body length) crossing the road from south to north while he was taking a break. The bear fled into the brush on the north side and its subsequent whereabouts are unknown.
Minamiaizu Nagano, Fukushima
While driving a vehicle, the observer sighted one bear (approximately 0.5 m in body length) in a field/cropland.
Minamiaizu Tabe, Fukushima
A bear was sighted in Nagataseguchi, Minamiaizu Town, Fukushima Prefecture, around 11:42 on 2026-06-12.
Minamiaizu Nagata, Fukushima
On Friday, June 12 at approximately 11:42 a.m., in the Sekiguchi area of Nagata, Minamiaizu Town, a witness (male in his 40s) spotted a bear while driving. The witness saw one bear (about 50 cm in body length) sitting in the roadside grass. The witness drove past the location, so the bear’s subsequent whereabouts are unknown.
Minamiaizu Nakaarai, Fukushima
While driving a vehicle, the observer sighted one bear (about 0.5 m in body length) sitting in the grass.
Minamiaizu Nagata, Fukushima
Peak activity at 11:00 with 9 incidents
Ursus thibetanus japonicus
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For mountain rescue, call 110 (police). They will coordinate with local rescue teams.
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In the past 30 days, 46 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 1 of them.
The latest sighting was reported 2 days ago near Tamura, Fukushima.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 11:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 158 km route runs from Iwaki to Minamiaizu within Fukushima. In the past 30 days, 46 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 1 of them. The latest sighting was reported 2 days ago near Tamura, Fukushima. This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
