This 336 km route from Taihaku Ward, Sendai to Midori crosses Miyagi, Gunma, Fukushima, and Tochigi. Over the past 30 days, 77 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of the route, including 12 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 Nasu 富岡, Tochigi; the location sits about 196.5 km from the start of the route and 4.4 km off the route line. The closest sighting to the route line was reported 1 month ago at Sano 出流原町, Tochigi, sitting about 301.1 km from the start and 61 m off the route line.
This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
3 places within 1 km of your route, passing through Miyagi, Gunma, Fukushima, Tochigi.
A single bear was sighted on a road in Nasu Town, Tochigi Prefecture. The article is behind a paywall and does not report detailed circumstances of the sighting or whether there was any damage.
Nasu 富岡, Tochigi
At around 05:05 on May 13, in a municipal road in Shibukawa Kubo, Nihonmatsu City, a woman in her 50s walking her dog sighted a bear about 1 meter long entering the forest from the road. The witness was not injured, and police are on alert in the area.
Nihonmatsu 上原, Fukushima
Around 20:30 on the 12th, a bear about 1 meter long was sighted on the grounds of a factory in Matsukawa-machi, Fukushima City. The bear ran away into the forest without causing any injuries; police have stepped up their vigilance.
Fukushima Shinobuyama, Fukushima
Around 11:55 on May 12, a man in Shirakawa City's Fujisawa mountain area witnessed an animal believed to be a bear about 1.5 meters long crossing a municipal road and entering the forest. No human injuries have been reported, and the police have urged caution.
Shirakawa 藤沢窪, Fukushima
At around 06:50 on May 12, in the area of the Ban-etsu Expressway (downward 75.6 km post) in Iwane, Motomiya City, Fukushima Prefecture, a man in his 60s witnessed a bear about 80 cm long crossing the highway from north to south. The bear went up the road embankment and no human injuries were reported; police are patrolling the area and urging caution.
Motomiya 岩根, Fukushima
On May 12, 2026, a single bear about 80 cm long was seen crossing the Ban-etsu Expressway in Motomiya City, Fukushima Prefecture.
Motomiya 岩根, Fukushima
On May 12, 2026, a single bear was sighted on a prefectural road in Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, according to Shimotsuke Shimbun Digital. Further details are behind a paywall.
Sano 高砂町, Tochigi
On May 11, 2026, between about 16:00 and 17:00, a single bear approximately 1 meter long was sighted on the prefectural road (Tanuma–Karasawayama Park Line) leading from Tochimoto Park toward Karasawayama in Tochimotocho, Sano City. The bear headed west after the sighting.
Sano 栃本町, Tochigi
A bear was sighted on a road in Nasu-Shiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture. Detailed circumstances and responses have not been confirmed from the article.
Nasushiobara 共墾社, Tochigi
A single bear was sighted swimming in a dam in Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture. The man who saw it told reporters that it swam about 300 meters.
Nasushiobara 共墾社, Tochigi
At around 14:25 on the 8th, a single bear was observed swimming in a dam in Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture. The male witness told reporters that the bear swam about 300 meters.
Nasushiobara 共墾社, Tochigi
At around 11:55 on May 8, 2026, an animal believed to be an Asian black bear (tsukinowaguma) was sighted on a mountain path near 1579 Tsukidani-cho, Ashikaga City (around Gyodozan Join-ji). The area is a popular hiking course.
Ashikaga 月谷町, Tochigi
A bear was sighted swimming in a dam in Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture. A male witness told reporters that it swam about 300 meters.
Nasushiobara 共墾社, Tochigi
On 2026-05-08, a sighting of a 'bear-like animal' walking in a rice field was reported in Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture (Fukushima TV). No specific time or more detailed location was provided.
Sukagawa 加治町, Fukushima
At around 05:10 on the 7th, a man in his 40s spotted one bear (about 1 m long) in a field in Yunohigashiyama, Iizaka-machi, Fukushima City. There were no injuries, and the police are urging caution.
Fukushima Iizakamachi-Yuno, Fukushima
A bear sighting was reported in Ōtama Village, Fukushima Prefecture. The bear is believed to be a single individual, and authorities have urged caution.
Otama Tamanoi, Fukushima
A bear was reported sighted in a mountain forest in Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture. The full article is behind a paywall, so further details are not available.
Sano 高砂町, Tochigi
In Fukushima City's Matsukawamachi Mizuhara Minamisawa area, a single bear about 1 m long was seen standing with its paw on a guardrail. No human or property damage was reported; the bear's subsequent whereabouts are unknown and police are patrolling by patrol car.
Fukushima Matsukawamachi-Mizuhara, Fukushima
At about 11:25 on May 5, a woman driving in Mizuhara Minamisawa, Matsukawa-machi, Fukushima City, sighted a single bear about 1 meter long standing with its paws on a guardrail. No human or property damage has been reported so far.
Fukushima Matsukawamachi-Mizuhara, Fukushima
Around 04:00 on May 4, 2026, one bear was sighted in a forest about 100 m south of the Sano Police Station Kanma substation in Kanma-cho, Sano City. The bear's body length is unknown.
Sano 梅園町, Tochigi
Sano 梅園町, Tochigi
Around 12:20 PM on May 2, 2026, a man in his 30s walking near the Arakawa in Niida Shimokawahara, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture, reported seeing one animal believed to be a bear to the Fukushima police station. The police said the animal's body length is unknown, and the sighting occurred near the Fukushima Toyota Crown Arena.
Fukushima Yagita, Fukushima
At around 11:10 a.m. on May 2, 2026, a man in a car spotted one bear (about 50 cm in length) moving north on a town road in Miyahara, Ookido, Kunimi Town, Fukushima Prefecture. No damage has been reported nearby; the police are patrolling with patrol cars and coordinating the response with the Kunimi town office.
Kunimi 大字高城, Fukushima
Around 06:55 on the 2nd, a man working in an orchard at Sakashita, Matsubara, Koori Town, Fukushima Prefecture, spotted a single bear about 1.5 meters long moving west along the orchard's north side. No significant damage has been confirmed; police are patrolling the area by patrol car and coordinating the response with Date City Hall.
Koori 大字松原, Fukushima
At around 06:55 on May 2, 2026, a man in his 70s working in a peach orchard at Kensho Momo no Sato in Koori Town spotted a bear about 1.5 meters long. The bear left the scene and its subsequent whereabouts are unknown; no injuries were reported. Police are patrolling the area and urging caution.
Koori 字堰合, Fukushima
At around 06:30 on May 2, 2026, a man driving in Fukushima-shi, Iizaka-machi Higashiyuno Aza Kamioka, saw a bear about 1 meter long cross a municipal road from west to east. The bear then left heading east along a nearby irrigation canal.
Fukushima Iizakamachi-Higashiyuno, Fukushima
A bear sighting was reported in Fukushima City. The article does not provide specific details on the exact location, time, or number of bears (published: 2026-05-02).
Fukushima Shinobuyama, Fukushima
Around 10:50 a.m. on the 30th, an woman in her 80s spotted a single bear about 1 meter long on a farm road in the Harasekawara area of Nihonmatsu City. No human injuries or property damage have been confirmed.
Nihonmatsu 原セ川原, Fukushima
According to police, on the morning of the 30th a man in his 30s driving on National Route 4 in Kunimi Town, Isomoda Aza Kunimimae, Fukushima Prefecture, spotted one bear (about 0.5 m long) wandering on the central median. The bear later left toward the riverbed to the east.
Kunimi 大字大木戸, Fukushima
Around 06:30 on the 30th, a man in his 30s reported a bear wandering near the central median on National Route 4 in Kunimi-machi, Ishiboda Kunimemae. There were no injuries; according to the Koori branch, the bear was about 0.5 meters long and ran toward the riverbank on the east side of the road. Around the same time a bear was also sighted on Route 4 at Ishiboda Ueno.
Kunimi 大字大木戸, Fukushima
At around 06:30 on April 30, 2026, a man in his 30s driving on Route 4 in Kunimi Town sighted a bear about 50 cm long wandering near the central median. No one was injured; the bear later moved toward the Takigawa riverbed, and police and the town remain on alert.
Kunimi 大字大木戸, Fukushima
On April 30, 2026 at around 06:30, a man in his 30s driving on Route 4 in Kunimi Town spotted a single bear about 50 cm in body length walking near the central median. The bear was also seen near a river on the east side of the road and its whereabouts are currently unknown; no damage to people or buildings has been confirmed. Police and town officials are patrolling the area and remaining on alert.
Kunimi 大字森山, Fukushima
At around 06:28 on April 30, 2026, a single bear about 0.5 meters long was sighted near the central divider of National Route 4 in Kunimi Town, Ishiboda, Kunimemae. The bear later left toward the riverbank on the east side of the road; no injuries or damage have been reported.
Kunimi 大字大木戸, Fukushima
On April 30, 2026, a bear sighting was reported in Kunimi Town, Fukushima Prefecture. The article does not report any injuries or details of capture.
Kunimi 大字藤田, Fukushima
At around 15:25 on April 28, 2026, a runner spotted a single bear about 1.0 m long on the Arakawa riverbank at Niida Nishi-Shimokawara in Fukushima City. No human or property damage was reported; Fukushima police increased patrols and a large walking event scheduled for the next day was canceled.
Fukushima Yoshikura, Fukushima
At around 15:23 on April 28, 2026, a man jogging along the Arakawa near Niiida Nishishimokawara in Fukushima City sighted a bear approximately 1 meter long. No injuries or damage have been reported; police and city officials are searching and keeping the area under watch.
Fukushima Yoshikura, Fukushima
At around 09:45 on April 28, 2026, a single bear about 1 meter long was sighted in the fields at Fukuroda Aza-Miya, Sukagawa City, by a person driving by; the bear then left toward fields to the north. No injuries or damage have been reported; police are patrolling by patrol car and coordinating with Sukagawa City Hall.
Sukagawa 袋田, Fukushima
Around 18:30 on April 27, a single bear about 1.2 meters long was sighted on a road in Hiraiishi Aza Uehara, Fukushima City.
Fukushima Fushiogami, Fukushima
At around 18:00 on April 26, 2026, a single bear approximately 1 m long was sighted in Hatakawauchi, Tomuro-machi, Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture (about 200 m southwest of Asono Gakuen Compulsory Education School).
Sano 戸室町, Tochigi
A bear was reported sighted on a road in Nasu-Shiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture. The article did not specify the exact time or location of the sighting, nor whether anyone was injured.
Nasushiobara 共墾社, Tochigi
On April 26, 2026, a bear was sighted on a road in Nasu Town, Tochigi Prefecture. The article reports the sighting; no detailed circumstances or information on injuries were provided.
Nasu 富岡, Tochigi
On 2026-04-26, a bear was sighted near a compulsory education school in Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture. The article reports the sighting but does not provide details such as the time of the sighting or whether there were any injuries.
Sano 葛生西三丁目, Tochigi
Sano 戸室町, Tochigi
Around 18:00 on April 25, 2026, a suspected Asian black bear was sighted in Ashikaga City, near 100 m east of Kotani Benten in Honjo 1-chome. This location is about 1.7 km north of Orihime Park where a bear was seen on April 17.
Ashikaga 江川町, Tochigi
At about 08:00 on April 23, 2026, a single bear approximately 1.5 meters long was sighted in In (稲), Sukagawa City. No injuries or property damage were reported.
Sukagawa 稲, Fukushima
A bear was sighted in Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture. The full article is behind a paywall on the Shimotsuke Shimbun, so detailed information is not accessible.
Nasushiobara 共墾社, Tochigi
On 2026-04-23, a bear was reported sighted in a field in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture. The article did not provide details of the sighting or whether there were any damages or injuries.
Ashikaga 雪輪町, Tochigi
Around 20:00 on April 22, 2026, a single bear about 1 meter long was sighted in Satsukisame, Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture. No injuries or property damage have been reported, and the police have urged caution.
Sukagawa 五月雨, Fukushima
At around 13:15 on April 22, 2026, a bear about 1.5 m long was sighted on a municipal road near Inada Gakuen (a compulsory education school) in Iwabuchi, Okaya-chi, Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture. Subsequent sightings occurred in the city: Samidare (around 20:00 on April 22, about 1.0 m), Ina (Akagishimo) (shortly after 08:00 on April 23, about 1.5 m), Hashirata (around 11:20 on April 23), and at a kindergarten site in neighboring Kagamiishi Town on April 21. No injuries or property damage have been confirmed so far.
Sukagawa 岩渕, Fukushima
A single bear about 1.5 meters long was sighted inside the grounds of a kindergarten in Okanochi, Kagamiishi Town by a person driving nearby. No injuries or property damage have been reported so far.
Kagamiishi 岡ノ内, Fukushima
On the night of April 21, 2026, a bear about 1.5 meters long was sighted in the parking lot of a kindergarten in Okanochi, Kagamiishi Town, Fukushima Prefecture, and footprints were found nearby. No injuries or damage to crops have been confirmed, and the police and town authorities continue to remain on alert.
Kagamiishi 岡ノ内, Fukushima
Around 20:00 on April 21, a single bear about 150 cm long was sighted on the grounds of the certified children's center Kodomo no Mori Okanochi Kindergarten in Kagamiishi Town. The bear left the area with no injuries or property damage reported; the Sukagawa Police carried out patrols and vehicle-based surveillance around the kindergarten and nearby school routes on the 22nd.
Kagamiishi 岡ノ内, Fukushima
Around 20:00 on April 21, a bear was reported inside the grounds of Okanochi Kindergarten in Okanochi, Kagamiishi Town, Fukushima Prefecture. According to Sukagawa Police, the bear was about 1.5 meters long; officers did not find it on arrival, but the kindergarten's security camera captured a dark object wandering near the parking area. There were two other sightings nearby that morning, and the police and town planned to strengthen patrols on the morning of the 22nd.
Kagamiishi 岡ノ内, Fukushima
Around 14:00 on the 21st, an angler spotted a single bear about 1.5 meters long emerge from brush on the riverbed of the Shakadogawa in Nishikawa, Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture. The bear crossed the road and fled into the forest to the north; no damage has been reported. Police and the city office are urging residents to be cautious.
Sukagawa 西田町, Fukushima
At around 11:40 a.m. on the 21st, a woman at the Mount Shinobu parking lot in Oyama (Hayama), Fukushima City, observed a single bear-like animal about 50 cm long crossing a mountain path. According to the Fukushima Police, the animal left toward the woods to the north.
Fukushima Oyama, Fukushima
Around 11:00 on April 21, 2026, a single bear about 150 cm long was sighted on the grounds of a private residence in Gotomaki, Kagamiishi Town. According to Sukagawa Police, the bear fled from the property toward the mountain to the north.
Kagamiishi 五斗蒔町, Fukushima
On the morning of April 21, 2026, one bear was sighted on the riverside in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture.
Ashikaga 雪輪町, Tochigi
Around 07:20 on April 21, 2026, an animal believed to be an Asian black bear was sighted on the riverbank in Oomae-cho, Ashikaga City. The sighting occurred about 150 m southwest of the Oomae baseball field, roughly 1.4 km west of Yamamae Station on the JR Ryomo Line; it may have come down the Matsudagawa River.
Ashikaga 大前町, Tochigi
A bear sighting was reported in Kagamiishi Town, Fukushima Prefecture. The article reports the sighting but does not provide specific location, time, or whether there were any human injuries or damage.
Kagamiishi 中央, Fukushima
Ashikaga 葉鹿南町, Tochigi
At approximately 05:33 on April 20, a single animal believed to be a bear about 1.5 meters long was sighted moving north from a rice field in Fukuroda (Sukagawa City). No human injuries were reported, and police have urged local residents to be cautious.
Sukagawa 袋田, Fukushima
Around 23:45 on April 19, an animal about 50 cm long resembling a bear was sighted on the Abukuma River riverbank at Tokusada-Kamikawahara, Tamuramachi, Koriyama City. There were no human injuries; the animal's whereabouts are unknown after the sighting, and the Koriyama police increased patrols by patrol cars and reported the information to the city.
Koriyama 笹川二丁目, Fukushima
A bear was reported in Nishigo Village, Fukushima Prefecture. The article reports the sighting but does not specify the exact location or whether there were any damages or injuries.
Nishigo 大字熊倉, Fukushima
A bear sighting was reported in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture. The article was published on 2026-04-19, but the available text does not provide specific details such as the exact location or the number of bears.
Nihonmatsu 金色, Fukushima
Around 13:30 on the 18th, a man driving on a prefectural road in Kyūishihara, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima, spotted a bear about 1 meter long crossing the road from north to south. The bear reportedly entered the forest afterward; no damage has been confirmed in the area, and police are patrolling by patrol car and urging residents to be cautious.
Nihonmatsu 休石原, Fukushima
At around 10:20 on April 18, 2026, a man driving on a prefectural road in Kumakura, Nishigo Village, Fukushima Prefecture, sighted a bear about 1 meter long crossing the road. No damage has been confirmed in the area; the police are patrolling by patrol car and, in cooperation with the Nishigo village office, are urging residents to be cautious.
Nishigo 大字熊倉, Fukushima
On April 18 at around 10:20 AM in Kumakura Okanezuka, Saigō-mura, a single bear approximately 1 m in length was seen crossing the road.
Nishigo 大字熊倉, Fukushima
At around 20:00 on April 17, 2026, a single bear approximately 2 meters long was sighted on a road about 950 m southeast of the Terakubo Town Community Center in Terakubocho, Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture.
Sano 寺久保町, Tochigi
Around 18:30 on April 17, 2026, a bear believed to be an Asiatic black bear (tsukinowaguma) was sighted at Orihime Park in Tomoecho, Ashikaga City. The report was based on Ashikaga City's official X account; the sighting occurred in an urban area near Orihime Shrine and the city hall.
Ashikaga 巴町, Tochigi
A single bear was sighted on a road in Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture. Further details are reported in a paywalled article on Shimotsuke Shimbun Digital.
Sano 高砂町, Tochigi
Ashikaga 巴町, Tochigi
Sano 出流原町, Tochigi
At around 17:45 on April 16, 2026, a man driving in Izumida, Sukagawa City reported seeing a bear about 1.3 meters long cross the road. The bear reportedly returned to the mountains afterward, and no damage has been confirmed.
Sukagawa 泉田, Fukushima
At around 17:45 on the 16th, a bear approximately 150 cm long was sighted in the forest at Ikeda Sakuta, Izumida, Sukagawa City. Later the same day at around 20:50, an animal thought to be a bear about 50 cm long was observed in the forest at Shiraishizaka, Morijuku, Sukagawa City (Sukagawa Police Station).
Sukagawa 泉田, Fukushima
Fukushima Minpo reported a bear sighting in Koriyama City. The article does not provide specific details on the location, time, or whether there were any damages or injuries.
Koriyama 朝日一丁目, Fukushima
Between Ōyama Elementary School and Yaya. Cub bear
Otama 木ノ下, Fukushima
Just after noon on the 15th in Nihonmatsu City (Niitaki), a woman driving a car spotted a single bear about 1 meter long crossing a municipal road. The woman left the scene and the bear's whereabouts are unknown; no injuries have been reported and police are patrolling the area and warning residents.
Nihonmatsu 二伊滝二丁目, Fukushima
Peak activity at 6:00 with 8 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, 77 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of this route, including 12 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 Nasu 富岡, Tochigi; the location sits about 196.5 km from the start of the route and 4.4 km off the route line.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 6:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 336 km route from Taihaku Ward, Sendai to Midori crosses Miyagi, Gunma, Fukushima, and Tochigi. Over the past 30 days, 77 bear sightings have been recorded within 5 km of the route, including 12 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 Nasu 富岡, Tochigi; the location sits about 196.5 km from the start of the route and 4.4 km off the route line. The closest sighting to the route line was reported 1 month ago at Sano 出流原町, Tochigi, sitting about 301.1 km from the start and 61 m off the route line. This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
