This 4.1 km route from Kotodai Park to Sendai Castle crosses Miyagi. Over the past 30 days, 22 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of the route, including 2 in the past week. This route runs through Asian black bear habitat (native to Honshu and Shikoku). The most recent sighting was reported 3 days ago near Sendai Kikutamachi, Miyagi; the location sits about 2.2 km from the start of the route and 3.1 km off the route line. The closest sighting to the route line was reported 2 weeks ago at Sendai Futsukamachi, Miyagi, sitting about 1.3 km from the start and 997 m off the route line.
At this density of recent sightings, consider rescheduling or choosing a different trail until activity quiets.
At around 20:10 on May 4, 2026, a teenage woman returning home spotted a single bear about 1 meter long rummaging through a plastic bag on a road near Kitayama Station (JR Senzan Line) in Yamatecho, Aoba-ku, Sendai. Police arrived but the bear had already left; no injuries or damage have been reported.
Sendai Kikutamachi, Miyagi
At around 20:10 on the 4th, a bear rummaging through what looked like a plastic bag on a road in Yamatecho, Aoba Ward, Sendai was reported by a teenage woman. The bear, about 1 meter long, had already left when police arrived; no injuries or damages have been reported, and police are warning residents near Kita-Yama Station on the Senzan Line.
Sendai Yamatemachi, Miyagi
At around 13:40 on April 28, a report was made of a "bear-like" animal in a residential area of Tsurugaya 4-chome, Miyagino-ku, Sendai. According to the Sendai East Police Station, the animal was sighted about 300 meters northeast of Tsurugaya Kindergarten, and the station has urged caution in the surrounding area.
Sendai Jiyugaoka, Miyagi
At around 13:40 on the 28th, a 110 call reported seeing something like a bear in a residential area of Tsurugaya 4-chome, Miyagino Ward, Sendai. According to the Sendai East Police Station, the sighting occurred about 300 meters northeast of Tsurugaya Kindergarten, and the station is urging caution in the area.
Sendai Jiyugaoka, Miyagi
At 02:45 on April 28, 2026, a roughly 1-meter-long bear was seen walking on a road in a residential area near Taihaku Park, Taihaku 1-chome, Sendai; a passing motorist reported it to police. The bear left northward into the woods; there were no injuries and police patrolled the area but did not find it.
Sendai Sahoyama, Miyagi
On 2026-04-28, one bear was sighted near Tsurukaya Kindergarten in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture.
Sendai Jiyugaoka, Miyagi
On 2026-04-27 at around 16:45, a male elementary-school student returning home saw a bear climbing a tree in woodland north of Izumi High Support School in Anyoji 2-chome, Miyagino Ward, Sendai, and a guardian called 110. The Sendai East Police are warning local residents and schools; the bear is about 1 meter long and may be the same individual reported in earlier sightings.
Sendai Masue, Miyagi
At around 09:20 on April 22, 2026, a single bear about 1 meter long was sighted in a residential area in Goro-roku, Aoba Ward, Sendai, and moved north. Police patrolled the area and issued warnings, and there have been no further sightings.
Sendai Goroku, Miyagi
A bear that appeared in Kicho-dori 2-chome, Aoba Ward, Sendai City was captured by the city using emergency shooting. The city received a total of 12 opinions regarding that decision, including protests such as "do not cull"; 5 were negative from an animal welfare perspective, 2 supported prompt removal, and 5 were comments on bear-countermeasure policies.
Sendai Futsukamachi, Miyagi
A single adult male bear (about 1.5 m long, 125 kg) remained in the shrubbery behind an apartment building in Kichōdori 2-chome, Aoba Ward, Sendai. Contractors fired two darts with a tranquilizer gun in the early evening, and the bear was captured (and subsequently euthanized) around 19:30. No injuries were reported.
Sendai Futsukamachi, Miyagi
A single bear, believed to be the same individual sighted since the night of the 18th, remained in vegetation in Sendai's Aoba-ku, Kimachidori 2-chome from early on the 19th and, after staying for more than ten hours, was culled by an emergency shooting around 18:30 on April 19. The appearance in the city center shocked residents and prompted concern and precautions from nearby schools.
Sendai Futsukamachi, Miyagi
An adult male bear about 1.5 m long and 125 kg remained for over 10 hours in vegetation behind an apartment in central Sendai (Aoba-ku, Kichomachi-dori). The city fired two tranquilizer darts after 18:20 to sedate it and then euthanized it with an electric shock; there were no injuries.
Sendai Futsukamachi, Miyagi
On April 19, 2026, an adult male bear about 1.5 m long and weighing approximately 125 kg stayed for over 10 hours at a condominium in Komachidori 2-chome, Aoba Ward, Sendai. The city tried to capture it using a box trap but failed; shortly after 18:20 a contractor fired two darting shots that hit, and the bear was subsequently euthanized with an electric prod; there were no injuries reported.
Sendai Futsukamachi, Miyagi
A single bear about 1.5 m long remained for an extended period in the shrubs on the grounds of an apartment in Kimachidori 2-chome, Aoba-ku, Sendai. Police set up cordons and maintained surveillance while the city installed a box trap to capture the bear; no injuries have been reported.
Sendai Futsukamachi, Miyagi
A single male bear was sighted near an apartment in Kimachidori 2-chome, Aoba Ward, Sendai. After drone confirmation and attempts with a cage trap, two anesthetic darts were fired shortly after 18:20 and the bear was captured around 19:30. It measured about 1.5 m and weighed about 125 kg; no injuries were reported.
Sendai Futsukamachi, Miyagi
One bear that had been staying in a residential area in central Sendai was culled by emergency shooting. The measure was carried out about 14 hours after the report, and sightings around the area had been reported since the night of the 18th. No human injuries were reported.
Sendai Futsukamachi, Miyagi
Around 23:00 on April 18, a single bear about 1.5 meters long was spotted by several passersby on a city road in Tōrimachi 2-chome, Aoba Ward, Sendai, and reported to police. Multiple nearby sightings were reported; the bear was believed to have left toward the Kashiwagi area or west, and police increased patrols and warned residents.
Sendai 通町, Miyagi
At around 07:50 on April 18, a walking man reported a bear climbing a fence near the second athletic ground of Sendai Third High School in Miyagino Ward, Sendai; the bear was about 70 cm long and was seen on the east-side fence. No one was on the ground and there were no injuries; police have stepped up patrols, including in Aoba Ward where four sightings were reported between the night of the 17th and the morning of the 18th.
Sendai Masue, Miyagi
was climbing the fence of Sendai Third High School’s second ground
Sendai Tsubamesawa, Miyagi
On April 18, 2026 at around 07:20, a passerby spotted and reported one bear near the No.2 athletic ground of Sendai Third High School in Anyouji 3-chome, Miyagino-ku, Sendai; the animal was estimated at about 70–80 cm in length. There were no injuries; police say multiple sightings across the city from the night of April 17 to the morning of April 18 may involve the same individual and have stepped up patrols and warnings.
Sendai Masue, Miyagi
At around 20:45 on April 17, 2026, a bear was reported on a road in Kunimi 1-chome, Aoba Ward, Sendai. The bear was about 1.5 m long and bear droppings were found nearby; the same individual was later seen around midnight on April 18 near nearby houses and on the grounds of a Tohoku University dormitory, and at 05:35 a.m. on a city road about 100 m west of Kita-Sendai Station. Police are patrolling and searching for the bear.
Sendai Chiyodamachi, Miyagi
Around 22:40 on April 14, a man riding a motorcycle spotted one bear on a road in Futabagaoka 2-chome, Aoba Ward, Sendai. Police patrolled the area and warned residents; no injuries or damage have been reported.
Sendai Fujimatsu, Miyagi
Peak activity at 7:00 with 3 incidents
Ursus thibetanus japonicus
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Over the past 30 days, 22 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of this route, including 2 in the past week. This route runs through Asian black bear habitat (native to Honshu and Shikoku).
The most recent sighting was reported 3 days ago near Sendai Kikutamachi, Miyagi; the location sits about 2.2 km from the start of the route and 3.1 km off the route line.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 7:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 4.1 km route from Kotodai Park to Sendai Castle crosses Miyagi. Over the past 30 days, 22 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of the route, including 2 in the past week. This route runs through Asian black bear habitat (native to Honshu and Shikoku). The most recent sighting was reported 3 days ago near Sendai Kikutamachi, Miyagi; the location sits about 2.2 km from the start of the route and 3.1 km off the route line. The closest sighting to the route line was reported 2 weeks ago at Sendai Futsukamachi, Miyagi, sitting about 1.3 km from the start and 997 m off the route line. At this density of recent sightings, consider rescheduling or choosing a different trail until activity quiets.
