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This 287 km route runs from Tateshina to Akiha Ward, Niigata, passing through Nagano and Niigata. In the past 30 days, 78 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 13 of them. The latest sighting was reported 1 day ago near Joetsu, Niigata.
This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
2 places within 1 km of your route, passing through Nagano, Niigata.
One bear about 100 centimeters in body length was sighted in the home center parking lot in the area of Ooaza Nishitanaka.
Joetsu, Niigata
A bear was sighted in a home center parking lot in Nishitakanaka, Joetsu City.
Joetsu, Niigata
Size: Adult
Shinano Nojiri, Nagano
Size: adult (fully grown)
Nagano Toyonomachi-Toyono, Nagano
Size: Unknown
Ueda Ueno, Nagano
While traveling on Prefectural Route Kamimasuda–Yoshikawa, I sighted one bear. It ran off to the south.
Joetsu, Niigata
Size: Adult (fully grown)
Nagano Shinonoi-Okada, Nagano
One bear was sighted about 100 meters northwest of the campsite in the Oaza Gochi Kokubu area.
Joetsu, Niigata
Size: Unknown
Ueda Tonoshiro, Nagano
One bear was sighted in Gochikokubu, Joetsu City.
Joetsu, Niigata
Size: Adult
Iiyama Hachisu, Nagano
Around 14:00 on 2026-06-26, a bear was sighted in Hasu, Iiyama City, Nagano Prefecture.
Iiyama Hachisu, Nagano
Size: adult animal
Iiyama Hachisu, Nagano
While driving on Prefectural Route Suginosawa-Futamata, a single bear was observed moving across the road from the west side to the east side.
Myoko, Niigata
Around 10:00 on 2026-06-25, a bear was sighted in Toyono-machi Toyono, Nagano City.
Nagano Toyonomachi-Toyono, Nagano
Size: Adult (fully grown)
Nagano Yoshi, Nagano
Size: adult (fully grown)
Ueda, Nagano
Around 17:35 on 2026-06-23, a bear was sighted in Akashio, Iizuna Town, Nagano Prefecture.
Iizuna Akashio, Nagano
Size: Adult
Iizuna Akashio, Nagano
Discovered bear tracks while doing farm work.
Nagaoka, Niigata
While driving on Prefectural Route Suginosawa-Futamata Line, (a witness) observed one bear crossing the road from east to west.
Myoko, Niigata
Discovered bear tracks while on the way to cultivate the field
Nagaoka, Niigata
Size: juvenile
Ueda, Nagano
Size: Juvenile
Ueda, Nagano
A bear was sighted in Oaza Kehashizaka, Myoko.
Myoko, Niigata
While driving on Prefectural Route Suginosawa-Futamata, I witnessed one bear entering the forest on the east side of the road.
Myoko, Niigata
A bear was sighted on a road in Keishizaka, Myoko City.
Myoko, Niigata
A bear about 1 meter long was sighted in Motomachi 1-chome, Mitsuke City, Niigata.
Mitsuke, Niigata
A bear about 1 meter long was sighted in a parking lot in Motomachi 1, Mitsuke City, shortly after 6 a.m.
Mitsuke, Niigata
One bear was sighted in Nakago-ku Fujisawa, Joetsu City, Niigata.
Joetsu, Niigata
Spotted one bear while driving to the fields. It moved northwest.
Joetsu, Niigata
Size: juvenile
Ueda, Nagano
While traveling on National Route 292, witnessed a bear about 1 m in length crossing from east to west.
Myoko, Niigata
While driving on prefectural Route Ogata–Takayanagi, I sighted one animal believed to be a bear. It was moving west.
Joetsu, Niigata
It was in the mountains. It ran off toward the mountains.
Joetsu, Niigata
One bear was sighted in Kahara, Shinanomachi, Nagano.
Shinano, Nagano
A bear was sighted on a prefectural road in Karuigawa, Kashiwazaki City.
Kashiwazaki, Niigata
Around 6:00 on June 14, a bear was sighted in Nanase, Nakano City.
Nakano Nanase, Nagano
Size: Adult
Nagano Matsushiromachi-Iwano, Nagano
Size: Adult
Nakano Nanase, Nagano
Spotted one bear on the road about 100 meters east of Kenshin-ko Budokan.
Joetsu, Niigata
While driving on the municipal Ōshika-Okeumi Road, a single bear was sighted heading into the forest.
Myoko, Niigata
One bear was sighted heading into the mountains to the east from the area near the Joshin-etsu Expressway.
Myoko, Niigata
It appeared on the camera of a trap intended for wild boar.
Joetsu, Niigata
A bear of unknown length was sighted on a city road in Niijima, Myoko City.
Myoko, Niigata
One bear seen heading toward the river to the east.
Myoko, Niigata
Observed one bear moving on National Route 292 from east to west.
Myoko, Niigata
A bear about 0.5 meters long was sighted on a road in Nirejima, Myoko City.
Myoko, Niigata
While driving on National Route 18, I sighted one bear. It crossed from west to east.
Myoko 大字上八幡新田, Niigata
A bear cub was sighted in an irrigation channel in Takidera, Joetsu City.
Joetsu, Niigata
A bear was sighted on Route 18 in Nashiki, Myoko City, and it crossed the road and left eastward.
Myoko 大字上八幡新田, Niigata
Spotted one cub in an irrigation canal 250 m west of the University-mae South intersection.
Joetsu, Niigata
Around 8:00 on 2026-06-11, one bear was sighted in Fujiyama, Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture.
Ueda Fujiyama, Nagano
Size: adult
Ueda Mitakedo, Nagano
One bear sighted near the police box
Myoko, Niigata
On 2026-06-10 in the morning, a bear was seen moving in Kebyōzaka, Myoko City.
Myoko, Niigata
Size: Unknown
Chikuma Mori, Nagano
Size: Juvenile
Ueda Tonoshiro, Nagano
Size: Adult
Ueda Higashiuchi, Nagano
One bear was sighted moving westward on National Route 292.
Myoko, Niigata
A bear about 1 meter long was sighted in a residential area in Himekawahara, Myoko City, Niigata.
Myoko, Niigata
Bear traces (claw marks and broken branches) were confirmed on a persimmon tree within the grounds of a private residence in the Takayasu-ji area.
Sanjo, Niigata
One bear approximately 70 centimeters long was sighted about 500 meters east of the Nakatawara intersection in the Oaza Nakatawara area.
Joetsu, Niigata
One bear about 100 centimeters long was sighted near the Joetsu-Takada Interchange toll booth in the Oaza Haizuka area.
Joetsu, Niigata
A toll booth worker at the Jōetsu-Takada Interchange spotted one bear near the gate. It ran off toward the mountains.
Joetsu, Niigata
A single bear about 100 centimeters in body length was sighted near the Jōetsu-Takada Interchange tollbooth within the Ōaza Haizuka area.
Joetsu, Niigata
Around 6:00 a.m. on 2026-06-07, one bear about 1 m long was sighted on the grounds of Arisawa Manufacturing Nakatahara West Plant in Nakatahara, Joetsu City, and police received a 110 emergency call.
Joetsu, Niigata
A bear about 1 meter long was sighted inside a factory site in Nakatabara, Jōetsu City.
Joetsu, Niigata
Size: cub/juvenile
Ueda, Nagano
Size: adult
Sakaki Nakanojo, Nagano
Size: Adult
Nagano Shinonoi-Yokota, Nagano
While driving, a person spotted one bear running along a field path. It was moving west.
Joetsu, Niigata
Ueda, Nagano
An adult bear was sighted in the forest behind a house in Kamishiojiri, Ueda City.
Ueda Kamishiojiri, Nagano
Size: Unknown
Nakano Kasahara, Nagano
A member of the public walking nearby sighted one bear. It moved south.
Nagaoka, Niigata
Size: Adult
Shinano Oi, Nagano
Size: Adult
Iizuna Kurai, Nagano
Peak activity at 5:00 with 5 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.
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In the past 30 days, 78 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 13 of them.
The latest sighting was reported 1 day ago near Joetsu, Niigata.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 5:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 287 km route runs from Tateshina to Akiha Ward, Niigata, passing through Nagano and Niigata. In the past 30 days, 78 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 13 of them. The latest sighting was reported 1 day ago near Joetsu, Niigata. This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
