Saves as a new trip plan. The original stays as-is.
This 98 km route runs from Sapporo TV Tower to Shakotan within Hokkaido. In the past 30 days, 7 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. No reports were recorded in the past 7 days. The latest sighting was reported 2 weeks ago near Sapporo Moiwayama, Hokkaido.
With activity this close, make noise as you hike, carry bear spray, and avoid the forest at dawn and dusk.
After descending Mount Moiwa and heading toward Yamanohana between the 6th and 5th stations, a black cub about 50 cm long was hiding in the sasa grass. The black fur on its ears was fluffy. The bear stayed still. I was too scared to take a photo at the time—seriously. But thinking back now, I found the fluffiness kind of cute.
Sapporo Moiwayama, Hokkaido
[Growling] Mount Moiwa summit → On the way toward the horse’s back ridge: on the switchback path leading from the summit (around where a Jizo statue stands), when the people ahead became spaced out, I heard a growling sound about three times.
Sapporo Moiwayama, Hokkaido
A bear was sighted in Osawa, Bikuni-cho, Shakotan Town, Hokkaido, around 20:30 on June 20.
Shakotan, Hokkaido
We had time before boarding the undersea observatory boat, so we turned off the main road into a small lane about a 3‑minute drive from Umika Port, and immediately saw a bear about 1 meter tall sitting on the road. It was about 50 meters from our car. We stopped the car and watched; the bear noticed us, and when we moved the car forward a little it went into the bamboo grass. We reported it to the fishing port afterward. We couldn’t take a photo in time, but the three of us (parent and two children) saw it at the same time, so there’s no doubt about it.
Shakotan, Hokkaido
Around 6:50 PM on 2026-06-09, a junior high school boy saw three brown bears on a city road in Maruyama Nishi 2, Chuo Ward, Sapporo.
Sapporo Maruyama-Nishimachi, Hokkaido
[No.22] Tuesday, June 9, 2026: Location: Near 1-jo 16-chome 1, Miyanomori, Chuo Ward Description: Sighted brown bears (3 individuals) Address: https://www.google.com/maps?q=43.044131,141.296852
Sapporo Miyanomori, Hokkaido
Three brown bears were spotted on a road in Maruyama Nishi-machi 2-chome, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, and disappeared into the bushes after a car honked.
Sapporo Maruyama-Nishimachi, Hokkaido
Peak activity at 8:00 with 1 incidents
Ursus arctos yesoensis
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.
In the past 30 days, 7 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. No reports were recorded in the past 7 days.
The latest sighting was reported 2 weeks ago near Sapporo Moiwayama, Hokkaido.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 8:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 98 km route runs from Sapporo TV Tower to Shakotan within Hokkaido. In the past 30 days, 7 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. No reports were recorded in the past 7 days. The latest sighting was reported 2 weeks ago near Sapporo Moiwayama, Hokkaido. With activity this close, make noise as you hike, carry bear spray, and avoid the forest at dawn and dusk.
