This 225 km route from Kawaguchi Green Center to Suwa Garasunosato Museum crosses Saitama, Nagano, Kanagawa, Tokyo, and Yamanashi. Over the past 30 days, 38 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of the route, including 11 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 Hanno 大字青木, Saitama; the location sits about 55.0 km from the start of the route and 3.4 km off the route line. The closest sighting to the route line was reported 2 weeks ago at Fujimi, Nagano, sitting about 208.3 km from the start and 4 m off the route line.
This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
11 places within 1 km of your route, passing through Saitama, Nagano, Kanagawa, Tokyo, Yamanashi.
A bear was sighted in Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture; the Hanno police estimated its body length at about 70 centimeters. Police urged people to prioritize their safety: if the bear is seen at a distance, do not move suddenly or shout and quietly leave the area; if the bear is nearby, do not turn your back and slowly back away while watching the bear.
Hanno 大字青木, Saitama
At around 20:40 on May 17, 2026, a single bear about 50 cm long was sighted in a residential area about 60 meters south of Kimii-chi Nursery in Nakasu, Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture. Police arrived but the bear had already left; police and city officials patrolled the area the next morning and warned residents, and no damage has been confirmed.
Suwa Nakasu, Nagano
In Hachioji (Kamiongatamachi), Tokyo, a sensor camera installed by a resident captured two Asian black bears (believed to be a mother and cub) at around 18:35 on May 17. The city set box traps near the site and warned that mother bears can become aggressive when protecting their cubs.
Hachioji, Tokyo
On May 17, 2026, at approximately 6:35 PM, a sighting of a mother bear and her cubs was reported near 1510 Kami-Ongata-machi, Hachioji City, Tokyo.
Hachioji Kami-Ongatamachi, Tokyo
On the afternoon of May 17, two Asiatic black bears (a presumed parent and child) appeared near a field in Kamiongata-machi, Hachioji City, Tokyo, and the city has issued a warning. No injuries or damage have been reported.
Hachioji, Tokyo
Around 18:20 on May 17, 2026, in Hannō City, Saitama Prefecture, a woman photographed a bear about 1 meter long that appeared on her property's grounds. Reports indicate a single bear was seen.
Hanno 大字青木, Saitama
On the afternoon of May 17 a pair of Asiatic black bears believed to be a parent and child were sighted near a field in Kamionkata-machi, Hachioji City, and the city has issued a warning. According to the city the sighting occurred around 18:00.
Hachioji, Tokyo
On the evening of May 17, a parent and cub of Asiatic black bears (one adult and one juvenile) were reported in the forest of Kamiongata-machi, Hachioji City, Tokyo. No new sightings or damages have been reported; the city plans to set box traps to capture them and is urging local residents to be cautious.
Hachioji, Tokyo
At approximately 5:30 a.m. on May 17, there was a report of an animal believed to be a bear in the vicinity of 825, Kabecho 1-chome, Ome City.
Ōme Kabemachi, Tokyo
A mature Asian black bear over 1 meter long appeared near houses in Motohachioji, Hachioji City, Tokyo. It was reported that the bear may have come via the Tama River riverbank.
Hachioji, Tokyo
A single bear was culled in Uenohara City, Yamanashi Prefecture. It may be the first bear culling in the prefecture since this spring.
Uenohara, Yamanashi
On May 10, 2026, a moon bear over 1 meter long was observed near traps and a camera in a grove in Motohachioji-cho, Hachioji, Tokyo, and the city plans to set a box trap for capture.
Hachioji, Tokyo
At around 01:35 on May 8, 2026, a truck driver traveling on National Route 358 in Nakabata-cho, Nakado district, Kofu City, spotted a bear-like animal about 1 m long on the road. The man reported it to the police, and the city conducted patrols and issued warnings to residents via disaster prevention radio.
Kōfu Nakabatakecho, Yamanashi
In the early morning of the 8th, a suspected bear about 1 m long was spotted on a national road in Kofu City, the city reported. The city is urging people to be cautious.
Kōfu Wakamatsucho, Yamanashi
A suspected bear about 1 meter long was sighted on a major bend of a national road near "右左口の里" in Kofu City. The man who saw it reported to the police, and the city conducted patrols and warned residents via disaster radio.
Kōfu Nakabatakecho, Yamanashi
Around 10:30 on May 4, 2026, a single bear about 1.10 m long appeared at a residence with a vegetable stand in the highland known as "Hoshifuru-sato" in Hara Village, Nagano. It was captured with a tranquilizer gun shortly before 14:00.
Hara, Nagano
Around 10:20 on May 4, a bear about 1.0–1.1 m long was sighted near the restaurant grounds in Nakashinden, Haramura (Suwa District), Nagano Prefecture; police and hunters responded. In the afternoon it was immobilized with a dart gun, captured and subsequently euthanized by the village authorities; no injuries or property damage were reported.
Hara, Nagano
At around 10:20 on May 4, 2026, a single adult bear (about 1.1 m long, approximately 45 kg) was sighted on the grounds of a restaurant/residence and nearby house in Shinmida, Hara Village, Suwa District, Nagano Prefecture. Police, hunting association members and village staff responded and the bear was sedated with a tranquilizer gun and captured at about 13:40; it was subsequently euthanized. No injuries or damage to buildings were reported.
Hara, Nagano
On May 4 in Hara Village, Nagano Prefecture, a bear (approximately 1.10 m in length) seen on the premises of a restaurant was sedated with a tranquilizer gun by police and hunting association members, captured, and euthanized. Reports say the bear had moved toward a nearby vegetable direct-sales stall.
Hara, Nagano
Near the Chuo Expressway Suwa-Minami interchange in Hara village, a bear was seen on a home's premises after 10:00 AM and was captured with a tranquilizer gun about four hours later on another home's grounds. The animal, about 1.1 meters long and believed to be a young individual, had repeatedly raided nearby beehives and was culled by the village after capture. No injuries were reported.
Fujimi, Nagano
According to the Saitama Prefectural Police, around 16:00 on April 30, 2026, a bear-like animal about 60–70 cm long was sighted in Misugidai 1-chome, Hannō City. The area includes schools, restaurants, parks and tourist spots, and police are urging people to prioritize their safety.
Hanno 大字矢颪, Saitama
On April 30 at around 14:30, the owner of a restaurant near the Misayama signal intersection in Hara Village reported seeing a roughly 1-meter bear in the garage. Village staff, police and hunting association members arrived but the bear had already left; footprints and droppings were found nearby, and no damage has been confirmed.
Hara, Nagano
Around 14:30 on April 30, 2026, a single bear about 1 meter long entered the garage of Restaurant Petika in Hara village, Nagano Prefecture, destroyed a beehive box kept years earlier and left droppings. The bear got briefly caught in a garden net, freed itself and fled into the woods; the village set two box traps.
Hara, Nagano
Size: adult
Hara, Nagano
On the night of April 29, 2026, an adult Asian black bear (one individual) emerged from the darkness near residences in Moto-Hachioji, Hachioji City, Tokyo and was captured on video. According to the city, the bear's body length exceeded 1 meter.
Hachioji, Tokyo
On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at approximately 9:00 PM, a bear (estimated body length 150 centimeters) was sighted in a grove of mixed trees in Motohachioji-machi 2-chome, Hachioji City, Tokyo.
Hachioji Moto-Hachiojimachi 2-chome, Tokyo
Around 20:45 on April 29, 2026, a camera set up by a resident captured an adult Asian black bear (over 1 meter) in the grove south of Shiroyama Elementary School (Motohachioji-cho 2), Hachioji, Tokyo. The city is coordinating with the Metropolitan Police to warn residents and plans to install a box trap; as of May 11 no damage had been confirmed.
Hachioji, Tokyo
In a stand of trees south of Shiroyama Elementary in Moto-Hachioji 2-chome, Hachioji City, a single adult Asiatic black bear over 1 meter long was captured on a sensor camera at around 20:45 on April 29. The city says no damage has been confirmed, has warned residents, and is taking measures including installing a live-capture box trap.
Hachioji, Tokyo
Hachioji, Tokyo
On April 29 a fully grown Asian black bear over 1 meter in length appeared in a grove in Moto-Hachioji 2-chome, Hachioji City; it was captured on a sensor camera at about 20:15 that day. No subsequent sightings, damage, footprints, or droppings have been confirmed, and the city plans to install a box trap and continue vigilance to capture the bear.
Hachioji, Tokyo
In Hachioji (Moto-Hachioji), Tokyo, at around 20:15 on April 29, a moon bear (over 1 meter long) was captured on a sensor camera approaching bait in a trap set for wild boar. No injuries have been reported, and the city plans to install a live capture box trap nearby under the nuisance wildlife capture permit.
Hachioji, Tokyo
A single adult Asian black bear (Tsukinowaguma) over 1.0 m was captured on a sensor camera in a grove in Motohachioji 2-chome, Hachioji City, Tokyo, on April 29 at about 20:15. No human injuries or further sightings have been reported; the city has set a live box trap near the site and is maintaining vigilance.
Hachioji, Tokyo
In a grove in Moto-Hachioji 2-chome, Hachioji City, a single adult Asiatic black bear (over 1 m long) was recorded by a sensor camera on April 29, 2026 at about 20:15. The city has set a box trap near the south side of Shiroyama Elementary School under a nuisance wildlife capture permit and is maintaining vigilance; no human injuries or tracks/scat have been confirmed so far.
Hachioji, Tokyo
A bear was reported sighted in Uenohara City, Yamanashi Prefecture. There have been no reports of injuries or capture.
Uenohara, Yamanashi
On April 29 a video was recorded in Motohachioji-cho 2-chome, Hachioji City, showing an animal believed to be an Asian black bear over 1 m in length. The city, working with relevant agencies, is collecting sighting reports and conducting on-site investigations; no new sightings or damage reports have been confirmed since April 29, and authorities remain on alert for safety.
Hachioji, Tokyo
I saw it on the way back from Ome Railway Park to Ome Station. I heard a noise from the top of a cliff?/edge? by the road, and when I looked there was one behind a tree. In terms of distance it felt like about 10–20 meters, so I didn’t have time to take a photo.
Ōme Katsunuma, Tokyo
In late last month, a Japanese black bear (about 1 meter in length) was confirmed to have appeared near a field in Motohachioji-cho 2-chome, Hachioji City, Tokyo. According to Hachioji City, local residents had set up a trap intended to capture wild boar.
Hachioji, Tokyo
According to the Saitama Prefectural Police, at around 00:45 on the 20th a bear-like animal about 1 meter long was sighted under the pedestrian bridge east of Misugidai Elementary School in Misugidai 2-chome, Hannō. The face was seen from inside a car, and the gait captured on a drive recorder suggests it was a bear.
Hanno 大字前ヶ貫, Saitama
Peak activity at 20:00 with 8 incidents
Ursus thibetanus japonicus
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Over the past 30 days, 38 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of this route, including 11 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 Hanno 大字青木, Saitama; the location sits about 55.0 km from the start of the route and 3.4 km off the route line.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 20:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 225 km route from Kawaguchi Green Center to Suwa Garasunosato Museum crosses Saitama, Nagano, Kanagawa, Tokyo, and Yamanashi. Over the past 30 days, 38 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of the route, including 11 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 Hanno 大字青木, Saitama; the location sits about 55.0 km from the start of the route and 3.4 km off the route line. The closest sighting to the route line was reported 2 weeks ago at Fujimi, Nagano, sitting about 208.3 km from the start and 4 m off the route line. This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
