This 176 km route from Taiwa to Morioka crosses Miyagi and Iwate. Over the past 30 days, 50 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of the route, including 14 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 Morioka Momijigaoka, Iwate; the location sits about 164.1 km from the start of the route and 364 m off the route line. The closest sighting to the route line was reported 3 weeks ago at Ohira 奥田, Miyagi, sitting about 8.9 km from the start and 12 m off the route line.
This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
Observed one presumed adult bear
Morioka Momijigaoka, Iwate
The site where a culled sika deer had been buried was dug up and the carcass taken. There are drag marks nearby, as well as bear tracks and scat.
Morioka Momijigaoka, Iwate
I found large bear footprints.
Morioka Higashinakano, Iwate
One bear sighted near the garage of a residence.
Morioka Sanbonyanagi, Iwate
Around 18:30 on May 9, three bears were sighted in Kamisuwa, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, with no human or property damage reported. On May 10 at 15:09, a small bear was sighted on the grounds of Hanamaki Agricultural High School at 68-__ Katsura Dai-1 Chiwari, Hanamaki City.
Hanamaki Ishidoriyacho-Eso, Iwate
At around 08:25 on May 10 a single adult bear was reported swimming north to south in the Kitakami River west of 1-30 Higashi-An'niwa 2-chome in Morioka. At about 08:50 the same bear was also seen in an apartment parking lot in the same area; police issued warnings and no injuries were reported.
Morioka Higashianiwa, Iwate
At around 08:25 on May 10, a passerby reported seeing an adult bear swimming north to south across the Kitakami River near Higashi-An'niwa 2-chome in Morioka City. Police issued local warnings and no damage from the bear has been confirmed.
Morioka Higashianiwa, Iwate
Empty honey boxes with the honey removed and the place where the frames were kept were ransacked.
Morioka Higashianiwa, Iwate
At around 18:30 on the 9th, three bears were sighted walking in Kamisuwa, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture. No human or property damage was reported.
Hanamaki Kamisuwa, Iwate
Three bears were sighted in Kamisuwa, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture; no human or property damage has been confirmed.
Hanamaki Kamisuwa, Iwate
Around 18:30 on May 7, in a residential area of Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, residents spotted a bear about one meter long walking in a private garden and on the road; security camera footage appears to show the same individual. On the day of reporting, the hunters' association responded to a bear caught in a trap at a nearby ranch.
Hanamaki Kajomachi, Iwate
On May 7 between 18:15 and 18:50, multiple people observed one adult bear wandering on the road in Kōchi, Ishidoriyacho, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture. No damage from the bear has been confirmed, and police are warning nearby residents to be cautious.
Hanamaki Ishidoriyacho-Kochi, Iwate
An adult bear was sighted in the woods across from the house. It ran off toward the mountains.
Morioka Higashianiwa, Iwate
Sighted one bear crossing the roadway.
Morioka Higashimirumae, Iwate
Around 10:30 a.m. on the 4th in Hanamaki (Ishidoriya-cho, Kitaterabayashi), caretaker Kiyoshi Sameguchi found an overturned bucket near a chicken coop with feed scattered. Family members saw one adult bear nearby and reported it to the city; police and the hunting association set a trap at 1:00 p.m. and are on alert.
Hanamaki Ishidoriyacho-Kitaterabayashi, Iwate
Inside Ishidoriya Fureai Sports Park
Hanamaki Ishidoriyacho-Kitaterabayashi, Iwate
Rice bran had been placed beside the field the reporter rents; two bags were torn into, and bear droppings and footprints on the mulch were found.
Morioka, Iwate
A pedestrian on a walk sighted one adult bear in Nishimatsuzono 2-chome, Morioka City. The bear left the scene heading south and no damage has been reported.
Morioka Mitsuwari, Iwate
A black bear (about 1 m) was rummaging through apple crates looking for apples.
Morioka Kado, Iwate
Sighted one medium-sized bear in an apple orchard
Morioka Mitsuwari, Iwate
Around 16:20 on April 28, a passerby spotted a single bear about 70 cm long moving in the Nishikawa river in Tomiya-bussho, Tomiya City, and called emergency services. The bear moved in the river east of Route 4 and later departed to the west; there were no injuries, and police have stepped up warnings to nearby schools and increased vigilance.
Tomiya 富谷, Miyagi
Around 16:00 on April 28, a passerby reported to the police a bear about 70 cm long swimming in the Nishikawa in Tomiya Bussho, Tomiya City, Miyagi. The bear swam west toward forested hills; no injuries or damage to buildings have been confirmed.
Tomiya 富谷, Miyagi
At around 17:40 on the 27th, a local resident in Kurihara City, Tsukidate-Tomebarato-no-ki, reported seeing a bear about 1.5 m long. Just after 01:00 on the 28th, another bear about 1 m long was seen crossing National Route 4 in Tsukidate-Terukoshi Eihei; no injuries were reported. Police are patrolling the area and urging caution.
Kurihara 築館字留場, Miyagi
Observed a bear near the Route 4 Nakano intersection moving from west to east (toward Nakano Elementary School).
Morioka Shimoyonai, Iwate
Around 7:30 a.m. on the 27th, one bear was sighted in Matsukidaira, Kamiyonai, Morioka City. The city has issued a warning asking people to be cautious.
Morioka Yamagishi, Iwate
At around 05:40 on April 27, 2026, an adult bear was sighted near Hiijono Sports Park in Matsuzono-cho, Hanamaki City. Matsuzono Nursery is nearby; the city and police monitored the area, and no damage has been reported.
Hanamaki Matsuzonocho, Iwate
At around 8:00 p.m. on the 26th, a single bear approximately 1.5 meters long was sighted in a rice field in Tsukidate Shinden, Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture. A local resident reported seeing it running north through the field; there have been no further sightings and the police are patrolling the area.
Kurihara 築館字新田東, Miyagi
At around 17:55 on April 26, 2026, a driver on Prefectural Route 16 spotted a single bear about 60 cm long sitting in a forested area in Ohira Village, Ohira Akasaka, Miyagi Prefecture. The bear later moved further into the woods and no further sightings have been reported; the police have stepped up patrols in the area.
Ohira 大衡, Miyagi
Apples stored in the shed used for farm work and storage had been eaten. There were also many droppings resembling bear feces both inside and outside the shed.
Morioka, Iwate
At around 09:50 on April 26, 2026, an adult bear was sighted on the road south of the Tsunatori Sports Center in Asagishi, Morioka. According to the Iwate Prefectural Police, no damage has been reported.
Morioka Shimoyonai, Iwate
Stopped at a traffic light, I saw a bear crossing the road in the rearview mirror.
Tomiya ひより台二丁目, Miyagi
In Shiwa Town, Iwate Prefecture, a fire brigade member was attacked by a bear; this occurred the day before a police officer was attacked. The report notes the timing and relation of the incidents but does not specify detailed injury information.
Shiwa 日詰, Iwate
It crossed the Sangyo Road in Futago Ueno heading west and went into the woods.
Kitakami Shimooniyanagi, Iwate
In Shiwa Town, Iwate Prefecture, a member of the fire brigade was reported to have been affected by a bear. The article states this occurred the day before a police officer was attacked.
Shiwa 日詰, Iwate
According to Iwate Prefectural Police, at around 15:00 on the 22nd an adult bear was sighted on the Nakatsugawa riverbed near the Tsunatori observation deck in Asagishi Futamori, Morioka City. It was wandering downstream along the left bank of the riverbed.
Morioka Shimoyonai, Iwate
While working in a rice field, the reporter saw one medium-sized bear on the lower slope of the mountain behind them. They scared it off with a rocket firework, and it ran up into the mountain.
Morioka, Iwate
A woman's body was found near Shiwa Town, Iwate Prefecture, in circumstances that appear to be a bear attack. A police officer was also attacked nearby and suffered serious injuries.
Shiwa 日詰, Iwate
At around 10:00 on April 21, 2026, a police officer searching for a missing person in Shiwa Town, Iwate Prefecture was attacked by a bear and suffered bites to the face and arm. The bear believed to have carried out the attack was killed after several hours of search.
Shiwa 紫波中央駅前二丁目, Iwate
On the morning of April 21, 2026, in Shiwa Town, Iwate Prefecture, a police officer searching for a missing person was attacked by a bear and sustained bites to the face and arm. The officer was conscious during transport, and the bear was culled at the scene.
Shiwa 日詰, Iwate
On the morning of April 21, 2026, in a stream area of Shiwa Town, Iwate Prefecture, a male police officer searching for a missing person with hunting association members was attacked by a bear and was taken to hospital with bites to his face and arms. The bear that was killed was near the scene where the body of a missing woman was found; her body had multiple wounds and is believed to have been attacked by a bear.
Shiwa 日詰, Iwate
Iwate Prefecture issued a warning about Asian black bear sightings. On April 21, 2026, in Shiwa Town a woman's body believed to have been attacked by a bear was found, and a police officer was seriously injured.
Shiwa 日詰, Iwate
At around 08:30 on April 19, 2026, a kei car driven by a man in his 20s collided with a bear on the outbound lanes of the Tohoku Expressway in Ohira Village, Miyagi Prefecture. The driver was uninjured; the bear was found dead at the scene and measured about 70 cm in length.
Ohira 奥田, Miyagi
A single juvenile bear was sighted near the staff-only parking lot of the Tezukuri Village.
Morioka Haba, Iwate
On April 18, 2026 at about 06:05, an adult bear was sighted in Yuzawa, Morioka City. Additional adult bear sightings occurred later in the morning in the Shimoda area of Morioka; no human or property damage was reported and police warned local residents to be cautious.
Morioka Yuzawa, Iwate
A bear about 1 meter long was seen moving toward the rice fields to the south.
Morioka Kuroishino 1-chome, Iwate
Around 16:00 on April 15, 2026, a schoolchild leaving school in Kuroishino 1-chome, Morioka City, spotted two bears (one large and one small) in the brush north of Midorigaoka Elementary School. Police searched the area but did not find the bears; one other sighting believed to be of the same animals was reported, and warnings and patrols are ongoing in the area.
Morioka Kuroishino 1-chome, Iwate
A single young bear was sighted near the staff-only parking lot of the Handmade Village.
Morioka Kuroishino 1-chome, Iwate
A bear about 1 m in length was sighted moving toward the rice fields to the south.
Morioka Momijigaoka, Iwate
Observed one animal believed to be a bear the size of a large dog.
Morioka Momijigaoka, Iwate
Around 22:30 on April 13, 2026, one bear cub appeared near Kamido 3-chome, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, and ran east toward the Kitakami River. There were no human or property damages.
Morioka Kamido 3-chome, Iwate
Peak activity at 16:00 with 6 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.
Draw any route in Japan and get the same bear-safety report, built around the trip you're actually taking.
No comments yet.
Over the past 30 days, 50 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of this route, including 14 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 Morioka Momijigaoka, Iwate; the location sits about 164.1 km from the start of the route and 364 m off the route line.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 16:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 176 km route from Taiwa to Morioka crosses Miyagi and Iwate. Over the past 30 days, 50 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of the route, including 14 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 Morioka Momijigaoka, Iwate; the location sits about 164.1 km from the start of the route and 364 m off the route line. The closest sighting to the route line was reported 3 weeks ago at Ohira 奥田, Miyagi, sitting about 8.9 km from the start and 12 m off the route line. This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
