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This 509 km route runs from Sano to Obama Castle, passing through Tochigi, Fukui, Aichi, Gifu, Gunma, Nagano, and Shiga. In the past 30 days, 92 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 18 of them. The latest sighting was reported 2 days ago near Iida Takinosawa, Nagano.
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 Tochigi, Fukui, Aichi, Gifu, Gunma, Nagano, Shiga.
Around 8:00 on 2026-07-25, a bear was sighted in Maruyama 4-chome, Iida City, Nagano Prefecture.
Iida Takinosawa, Nagano
Wakasa Tana, Fukui
Mihama, Fukui
A bear was sighted in Kamigo Kuroda, Iida City.
Iida Kamisatokuroda, Nagano
Around 8:20 AM on 2026-07-24, one bear was sighted in Hatachi, Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture.
Karuizawa 大字発地, Nagano
Size: Juvenile
Iida 宮ノ上, Nagano
Size: juvenile
Karuizawa, Nagano
Size: Adult
Karuizawa 大字発地, Nagano
Size: adult (fully grown)
Achi, Nagano
Size: juvenile
Minowa, Nagano
Around 08:20 on 2026-07-22, a bear was sighted in Ōkyū, Iida City, Nagano Prefecture.
Iida 大休, Nagano
Size: Juvenile
Iida 大休, Nagano
A bear was sighted in Tadano, Obama City, Fukui Prefecture, on 2026-07-21.
Obama Chuno, Fukui
Obama Chuno, Fukui
Size: Adult
Achi, Nagano
A bear was sighted in Mogusa, Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture, around 7:15 a.m. on July 21.
Karuizawa 大字茂沢, Nagano
Size: Adult
Karuizawa 大字茂沢, Nagano
A bear was sighted in Shoei-cho 2-chome, Iida City.
Iida 羽場権現, Nagano
Size: juvenile
Iida 羽場権現, Nagano
Annaka 松井田町行田, Gunma
One bear was seen moving in Matsuida-cho Gyoda, Annaka City, Gunma.
Annaka 松井田町行田, Gunma
Size: Adult
Minowa, Nagano
Size: Adult
Minowa, Nagano
One bear was sighted moving in Oshimizu, Maibara City.
Maibara Oshimizu, Shiga
One bear was found caught in a box trap in Okuyasu, Iida City, and was then culled by the hunters' association.
Iida 大休, Nagano
Size: juvenile
Minowa, Nagano
Size: Unknown
Takamori Yamabuki, Nagano
Size: adult (fully grown)
Karuizawa, Nagano
Size: juvenile
Iida Takinosawa, Nagano
Around 6:30 on 2026-07-14, a bear was sighted in Yamabuki, Takamori Town, Nagano Prefecture.
Takamori Yamabuki, Nagano
Size: Juvenile
Takamori Yamabuki, Nagano
Size: Adult
Minowa, Nagano
Wakasa Torihama, Fukui
A bear was sighted in Mukasa, Wakasa Town, Fukui Prefecture.
Wakasa Mukasa, Fukui
Ashikaga 西宮町, Tochigi
Around 20:00 on 2026-07-13, a bear was sighted in Ozawa, Ina City, Nagano Prefecture.
Ina Ozawa, Nagano
Size: adult and cub
Achi Chisato, Nagano
Size: Unknown
Nagiso, Nagano
Size: Unknown
Ina Ozawa, Nagano
I was riding a motorcycle on a tour, and it was just at the spot where the guardrail goes into the mountain, so I didn't take any photos and the location is not exact. I was heading west and report an approximate location based on my memory that it was a left-hand curve a little past the Megane Bridge parking area, at a place with a white guardrail.
Annaka, Gunma
Size: Unknown
Nagiso, Nagano
Wakasa, Fukui
Size: Adult
Okaya Kawagishi, Nagano
A bear was sighted in Kuwayama, Saku City.
Saku Kuwayama, Nagano
Ena 長島町中野, Gifu
Around 13:10 on 2026-07-10, a bear was sighted in Shiga, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture.
Saku, Nagano
Size: Adult
Tatsuno 大字上島, Nagano
Size: adult with cubs
Iida 大休, Nagano
Around 18:20 on 2026-07-10, a bear was sighted in Kanae-Kirishita, Iida City, Nagano Prefecture.
Iida 羽場上河原, Nagano
On 2026-07-10 in Shinkoda, Saku City, Nagano, a bear was sighted.
Saku Arakoda, Nagano
In the Okuyasu area of Iida City, beehives were damaged and honey was eaten.
Iida 大休, Nagano
Tsuruga Kashimagari, Fukui
In the Okuyasu area of Iida City, beehives were damaged and honey was eaten.
Iida 大休, Nagano
Size: Adult
Iida 大休, Nagano
Ena 武並町藤, Gifu
Size: juvenile
Karuizawa, Nagano
Size: Adult
Karuizawa, Nagano
A bear was sighted in Hatsuji, Karuizawa Town, Nagano, around 10:20 on July 6.
Karuizawa 大字発地, Nagano
Ashikaga 西宮町, Tochigi
A bear was sighted in Nishi-Minowa Oizumishinden, Ina City, around 1:30 PM on July 6.
Ina, Nagano
Tomioka 妙義町上高田, Gunma
Size: unknown
Ina Yokoyama, Nagano
Size: adult
Karuizawa, Nagano
On 2026-07-04 afternoon, a bear was sighted in Hosshi, Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture.
Karuizawa 大字発地, Nagano
Tsuruga Sawa, Fukui
A bear was sighted in Naka-Minowa, Minowa Town, Nagano Prefecture, around 1:40 PM on July 3.
Minowa, Nagano
Nakatsugawa, Gifu
Shimonita, Gunma
Around 7 PM on July 3, a bear was sighted in Nishinomaki, Shimonita Town.
Shimonita Nishinomaki, Gunma
Around 8:00 on 2026-07-03, a bear was sighted in Hotchi, Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture.
Karuizawa 大字発地, Nagano
Size: juvenile
Minowa 大字中曽根, Nagano
Size: unknown
Tatsuno 大字上島, Nagano
Size: Adult
Karuizawa, Nagano
Size: Unknown
Nagawa, Nagano
Nakatsugawa, Gifu
A bear was sighted on a road in Saienji, Maibara City, Shiga, by students commuting to school.
Maibara Saienji, Shiga
A bear was sighted in Matsuida-machi Doshio, Annaka City.
Annaka 松井田町土塩, Gunma
Nakatsugawa, Gifu
Size: Adult
Karuizawa, Nagano
Size: Adult
Karuizawa, Nagano
Size: juvenile
Takamori Yamabuki, Nagano
Wakasa Sueno, Fukui
It ran through the trees alongside the trail just before Ryogaiyama.
Ashikaga 江川町, Tochigi
Wakasa Sueno, Fukui
A bear was sighted in Shukuji, Nishiazai-cho, Nagahama City.
Nagahama Nishiazaicho-Shufukuji, Shiga
Size: adult (fully grown)
Tatsuno 南平, Nagano
A bear was sighted moving in Agari, Wakasa Town, Fukui Prefecture, around 9:00 on June 30.
Wakasa Wakasa-Techno-valley, Fukui
A bear was sighted in Sueno, Wakasa Town, Fukui Prefecture.
Wakasa Sueno, Fukui
Size: Adult (fully grown)
Karuizawa, Nagano
Obama Ekimaecho, Fukui
Size: Adult
Iida 大休, Nagano
Size: juvenile
Nagiso, Nagano
Peak activity at 8:00 with 7 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, 92 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 18 of them.
The latest sighting was reported 2 days ago near Iida Takinosawa, Nagano.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 8:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 509 km route runs from Sano to Obama Castle, passing through Tochigi, Fukui, Aichi, Gifu, Gunma, Nagano, and Shiga. In the past 30 days, 92 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 18 of them. The latest sighting was reported 2 days ago near Iida Takinosawa, Nagano. This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
