Sendai Tōshō-gū to Aomori Bay Bridge Drive

One bear was sighted in Sakuramachi 1-chome, Hanamaki City.

Hanamaki Toyosawacho, Iwate

On the night of 2026-05-25, one bear was sighted on a city road in Narita 8-chome, Tomiya City, Miyagi Prefecture.

Tomiya 明石, Miyagi

Around 8:30 PM on 2026-05-25, a bear was sighted in Narita, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture.

Hanamaki Narita, Iwate

A bear was sighted in Kamiyagari 2-chome, Izumi Ward, Sendai City.

Sendai Izumichuo-minami, Miyagi

A bear was sighted in Yatsumatazawa, Tsukidate Shimomiyano, Kurihara City.

Kurihara 築館, Miyagi

A bear was sighted in Kukunome 3rd Chiwari, Hanamaki City, around 18:00 on 2026-05-24.

Hanamaki Kunuginome, Iwate

Around 7:12 PM on May 24, a bear was observed on security camera in Matsuzonocho, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture.

Hanamaki Tenkada, Iwate

While driving a car on Nishiyama Agricultural Road heading toward Hanawa, I witnessed a bear about 40 centimeters in height crossing the road from east to west and then walking off into the woods on the west side. The distance between the car and the bear was about 6 meters.

Kazuno, Akita

[Report] I went to my property to take care of the remains after cutting down chestnut trees. After getting out of the car, I saw a bear wandering about 80 meters away. I made noise, but it didn’t react or even look my way; it crossed my property and climbed up the slope to the south.

Kosaka, Akita

A bear was sighted in Shinbori 32-wari, Ishidoriya-cho, Hanamaki City.

Hanamaki Ishidoriyacho-Hachiman, Iwate

A bear was sighted in Furukawa Osaki Nyo Kodate, Ōsaki City.

Osaki 古川大崎, Miyagi

Vacant lot / Body length 1 m / 20 m from a house / 30 m distance from eyewitness

Kazuno, Akita

At around 18:10 on May 21, 2026, a man in his 70s at home spotted a roughly 1‑meter bear in a grove in Hanawa, Kazuno City (Shintomei). According to the Kazuno police, the bear was about 30 meters from nearby houses, and the police have urged residents to be cautious.

Kazuno, Akita

On private residential property / body length 1 m / 20 m from the house / 20 m from the witness. Witness observed a bear walking toward the back of the shrine.

Kazuno, Akita

On May 21 at around 12:30, a report was made of a parent-and-child bear in an apple orchard south of Taketate Elementary School in Hirakawa City. City staff patrolling the area sighted a bear-like animal at about 13:30; police and the hunting association conducted searches with drones but could not confirm the bear. The city halted school activities and will set a box trap at 09:00 on May 22.

Hirakawa Okidate, Aomori

Around 11:40 on May 21, a bear was sighted at Furukawa Shimizu Narita Omotemae in Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.

Osaki 古川清水, Miyagi

At around 10:47 on 2026-05-21, a bear was sighted in Matsuzonocho, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture.

Hanamaki Tenkada, Iwate

A bear was sighted in Okidate Miyazaki, Hirakawa City, Aomori Prefecture.

Hirakawa Okidate, Aomori

A bear was sighted in Iwakiri-Higashikawara, Miyagino Ward, Sendai City.

Sendai Iwakiri, Miyagi

At around 18:10 on May 20, a bear about 1 m long was sighted on the riverbank near Iwakiri Ohashi on the Nanakita River in Iwakiri, Miyagino Ward, Sendai; within about 20 minutes there were three reports extending to the Imaichi Bridge area. After hunters set off firecrackers after 20:00, the bear emerged from a thicket and moved westward; no further sightings or damages have been confirmed.

Sendai Iwakiri, Miyagi

Vegetable garden on private property / Body length 1 m / 15 m from house / 15 m distance from witness I observed a bear lingering in the vegetable garden on my property. I was frightened and went indoors. I have not been able to confirm what the bear did afterward.

Kazuno Towada-Nishikigi, Akita

While driving on the expressway, I encountered a bear cub on the road about 200 meters before Kosaka Parking Area. I slowed down and honked, and it ran into the bushes on the left. The mother bear was not seen. I reported it to the police car that was ahead.

Kosaka, Akita

A bear was sighted in Furukawa Osaki Odachi, Ōsaki City, Miyagi, around 14:20 on May 20, 2026.

Osaki 古川大崎, Miyagi

Near the brush above the forest park, it was crossing the gravel path.

Sendai Dainohara-shinrinkoen, Miyagi

A bear is climbing up and down a chestnut tree.

Morioka, Iwate

At around 10:25 on May 20, 2026, a woman in her 70s encountered a bear about 1 meter long in a bamboo grove behind her home in Furukawa Shinhori, Osaki City, Miyagi. She waved a saw she was carrying and drove the bear off but fell and suffered a fractured bone in her lower back; the bear fled west.

Osaki 古川新堀, Miyagi

Early on the morning of May 20, 2026, one bear was sighted on the riverbed in Iwakiri, Miyagino Ward, Sendai. A nearby elementary school conducted group dismissal and police are on alert.

Sendai Iwakiri, Miyagi

At around 08:45 on May 20, a passerby sighted one bear south of Yahata Elementary School in Ishidoriya-cho, Hanamaki. The bear crossed Prefectural Route 265 from west to east and left the area; no damage was reported, and the police are patrolling the scene and urging residents to be cautious.

Hanamaki Ishidoriyacho-Hachiman, Iwate

On May 20, 2026 at around 05:50, a woman walking in Taihaku Forest Park in Aoba Ward, Sendai, reported seeing a bear walking south to north. There were no injuries; Sendai North Police said a single bear about 1 meter long was seen near the rock garden by the HOKUSHU Science Museum. Officers patrolled but could not confirm it. A bear had also been sighted about 1.5 km south on the 14th, and police cannot tell if it is the same individual.

Sendai Kitane-Kuromatsu, Miyagi

At around 05:50 on the 20th, one adult bear was sighted walking from south to north near the science museum in Taihaku Forest Park, Aoba Ward, Sendai City.

Sendai Dainohara-shinrinkoen, Miyagi

A bear was sighted in Matsuzonocho, Hanamaki City, Iwate, on May 20 in the late afternoon.

Hanamaki Tenkada, Iwate

On May 20, 2026, Sendai City reported a bear sighting in Taihara Forest Park in Aoba Ward and has temporarily banned passage on most of the park, including paths without street lighting.

Sendai Dainohara-shinrinkoen, Miyagi

A bear appeared in Furukawa, Ōsaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, and the city carried out its first emergency shooting to cull the animal.

Osaki 古川, Miyagi

On the morning of May 19, 2026, one male bear was spotted in a grove near Furukawa Shinden, Osaki City. The city authorized emergency gun hunting for public safety and the bear was killed around 11:00 a.m. The bear was about 1.1 m long, weighed approximately 45 kg, was estimated to be four years old, and is believed to have wandered in via a nearby river.

Osaki 古川新田, Miyagi

Field / body length 1 m / 150 m from a house / 200 m from a witness While driving on the national highway, (the witness) saw a bear running south through a field 200 m south of the highway.

Kazuno, Akita

On May 18, 2026 at around 20:00 in Sakuragaoka 6-chome, Aoba-ku, Sendai, a passerby reported a black animal about 1 meter long (uncertain if it was a bear) on private property, but residents could not confirm it. At around 22:15 the same day, a bear was reported moving south on a road in Nakayamadai 1-chome and then left for nearby woods. A bear was also sighted at Sakuragaoka Elementary School on the 14th.

Sendai Nishikatsuyama, Miyagi

Witnessed it crossing the road and entering the thicket of the forest on the east side.

Kazuno, Akita

At around 06:10 on the 18th, a man driving on a municipal road in Takayashiki, Tomiya City, spotted a bear about 1.5 m long and called the police. The bear ran up the west slope toward the mountain; the previous evening (17th) two other bears (about 1.5 m and 1 m) were reported about 1 km to the west in Yamatocho Morinooka 3-chome.

Tomiya 杜乃橋, Miyagi

At around 06:10 on the 18th, a 1.5-meter bear was seen walking on a slope near the Costco Wholesale Tomiya warehouse in Takayashiki, Tomiya City, by a man in a car; at about 10:00 the same day two more bears were spotted in a rice field about 1 km south of that location. There were no injuries reported, and Miyagi Prefecture announced it will continue the 'bear sighting alert' until June 18 due to the surge in sightings.

Tomiya 杜乃橋, Miyagi

At around 18:20 on May 17, 2026, a resident reported seeing two bears (approximately 1.5 meters and 1 meter long) walking in a rice paddy in Mori-no-oka 3-chome, Taiwa Town, Miyagi Prefecture, and called emergency services.

Taiwa 杜の丘, Miyagi

One bear sighted near the garage of a private residence

Morioka, Iwate

Around 08:00 on May 17, a single bear was seen walking in an irrigation canal near Ota 6-chome, Morioka City. No damage from the bear has been confirmed, and the Morioka East Police Station has urged nearby residents to be cautious.

Morioka Shimoota-Sawada, Iwate

Around 04:30 on May 17, 2026, a female newspaper delivery worker spotted a bear about 50 cm long in shrubbery among houses in Yawata 5-chome, Aoba Ward, Sendai. The bear left the scene; police patrolled the area but did not find it. The sighting location is about 300 meters in a straight line from Osaki Hachiman Shrine.

Sendai 八幡, Miyagi

At around 03:30 on May 17, 2026, one bear was sighted near Tegake no Matsu green space at 2-19 Takamatsu, Morioka, Iwate. No human or property damage was reported.

Morioka, Iwate

A single bear is believed to be holed up inside the Cross Tower A-Bay building in Aomori City. Police and members of a hunters' association are surrounding the site and conducting capture operations, and a box trap has been brought in.

Aomori Uramachi, Aomori

At around 22:10 on the 16th, a caller driving in Higashimimae 4-chiwari 10-banchi area, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, spotted a bear under 1 meter long walking east along the road. The bear was reported to be about 50 meters ahead when observed.

Morioka Higashimirumae, Iwate

One bear was sighted on the opposite side across the Nedagawa (Nedagawa River).

Morioka Higashimirumae, Iwate

Around 20:25 on May 15, an adult bear was sighted on a city road north of Kitakami General Sports Park in Takamaedanchi, Awasaracho, Kitakami City; the bear crossed the road from north to south and ran toward the park. No damage from the bear was reported, and police have urged nearby residents to be cautious.

Kitakami Aisaricho, Iwate

Around 17:30 on May 15, 2026, one bear was sighted on the grounds of Hanamaki Airport in Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, and the runway was temporarily closed. At least four flights were affected, but no injuries or property damage were reported, and the bear later left the airport grounds.

Hanamaki Kuzu, Iwate

At least one cub (young bear) entered inside.

Aomori Nagashima 1-chome, Aomori

Around 15:30 on the 15th, a juvenile bear was sighted entering a mixed commercial facility (including a hotel) in Nagashima, Aomori City, and is believed to be holed up inside. Police, city officials and members of the hunters' association have gathered at the scene.

Aomori Ono, Aomori

At around 15:30 on May 15, 2026, a bear entered the first floor of a building in Nagashima 1-chome, Aomori City, prompting people inside to evacuate to upper floors. Police and government hunters carried out an emergency shooting and culled one adult male bear about 1 meter long.

Aomori Ono, Aomori

A bear is believed to be occupying the first floor of a mixed-use commercial building in central Aomori City, leaving more than 10 people (patrons of a pharmacy and a hotel) trapped. A bear was also sighted at a parking lot about 300 meters away around the same time, possibly a different individual, and Aomori City is considering emergency shooting to eliminate the very high risk of human injury.

Aomori Nishitaki, Aomori

On the afternoon of May 15, 2026, a bear entered the Cross Tower A-Bay commercial complex (Nagasima 1-chome) in central Aomori City and remained inside for several hours. Police cordoned off the area and set box traps; around 18:10 local hunters fired and killed one bear. Multiple sightings were reported across the city that day, and a bear was also seen about 300 meters away in a parking lot, possibly a different individual.

Aomori Uramachi, Aomori

A sighting report was posted to Aomori Prefecture's bear log.

Aomori Nagashima 1-chome, Aomori

A bear holed up in the Cross Tower A-Bay in central Aomori City, people stranded on upper floors According to Aomori City and the police, at around 3:30 p.m. today a single bear was sighted in Nagashima, Aomori City. The scene is the Cross Tower A-Bay, and at least one cub is said to have entered the building. The bear is still believed to be holed up inside.

Aomori Nagashima 1-chome, Aomori

According to police, around 15:00 on May 15, 2026, one adult bear was sighted in the grassland north of the Hanamaki City Exchange Hall in Katsura Daisan Chiwari, Hanamaki City. Police notified the city office and nearby schools.

Hanamaki Higashimiyanome, Iwate

Shortly after 11:00 AM on May 15, 2026, one bear was sighted northeast of Ōno Elementary School in Aoba 1-chome, Aomori City.

Aomori Ono, Aomori

On my way to work I witnessed an Asian black bear (Tsukinowaguma) crossing the road and running up the embankment.

Kazuno, Akita

Around 05:00 on May 15, a single bear of unknown length was sighted in Nagashima, Aomori City, moving west from near Nagashima Elementary School and running along the national road from Hirota Shrine toward the Yanagi-cho intersection. No damage has been reported, and city staff and police are patrolling the area to maintain vigilance.

Aomori Ono, Aomori

On May 15 between about 4:30 and 5:00 a.m., multiple sightings of an Asian black bear (tsukinowaguma) were reported near the Aomori Prefectural Office in Aomori City. The city has warned residents via social media and is maintaining vigilance while considering emergency shooting operations.

Aomori Ono, Aomori

Around 00:00 on May 15, a man driving on a city road in Masue, Miyagino Ward, Sendai, reported seeing a black mass that turned out to be a bear. The bear was a single animal about 1.5 m long, left toward the forest to the east, and there were no injuries; it may be the same individual seen the previous afternoon at Tohoku High School Komatsushima campus, and the city set box traps but had not captured it.

Sendai Masue, Miyagi

One bear sighted in an apple orchard.

Morioka Senbokucho, Iwate

Around 00:00 on May 15, 2026, a man driving in Masue, Miyagino-ku, Sendai, called 110 after approaching a dark mass and discovering it was a bear. According to the Sendai East Police, a single bear about 1.5 meters long left toward woods to the north and east; there were no injuries.

Sendai Masue, Miyagi

Around 23:55 on May 14, an adult bear was sighted on a road east of Motomiya Children's Park in Motomiya 2-chome, Morioka. Police patrolled the area by patrol car and spotted the bear near the west side of Motomiya Elementary School, but it entered a residential area and its whereabouts became unknown; no damage has been reported.

Morioka Senbokucho, Iwate

Before 21:00 on May 14, 2026, a roughly 1-meter-long bear was seen entering a residential property in Aomori City's Nami-dachi Maeda area. Sightings also occurred at a convenience store parking lot, in the Nami-dachi area, and in the Nagashima area near the prefectural office; the city has set up a response headquarters and is considering switching to emergency shooting.

Aomori Namidate, Aomori

At around 19:50 on May 14, 2026, a single cub was sighted on the grounds of a convenience store in Satomi, Aomori City. No damage was reported, and the city urged nearby residents and passersby to be cautious.

Aomori Namidate, Aomori

Around 19:00 on May 14, 2026, a single bear about 1 meter long was sighted in Gobommatsu Hirano, Namioka, Aomori City, crossing Prefectural Road No. 27 (Aomori-Namioka Line) from south to north. No damage was reported.

Aomori, Aomori

Observed one bear crossing the road.

Morioka, Iwate

Around 13:00 on May 14, 2026, a student spotted a bear about 50 meters away in the grove on the grounds of Tohoku High School in Komatsushima, Aoba-ku, Sendai. The school ordered a mass dismissal, and police warned that bears had also appeared in the area on May 11.

Sendai Dainohara-shinrinkoen, Miyagi

Around 13:00 on the 14th, a staff member at Tohoku High School in Komatsushima 4-chome, Aoba Ward, Sendai, reported a bear in a grove on the school grounds to emergency services. The city and Sendai North Police are responding, believing the bear remains in the grove, and have urged caution at nearby schools and the university.

Sendai Komatsu-Shintsutsumi, Miyagi

Before 8:00 a.m. today, one Asiatic black bear (Tsukinowaguma) was sighted near the prefectural art museum and the Sannai-Maruyama ruins in Aomori City. City staff and the hunters' association inspected the site but found no tracks or other traces; the Sannai-Maruyama ruins have posted notices to inform visitors of the sighting and warn them to be cautious.

Aomori Sannai, Aomori

On the morning of May 14, 2026, one adult bear was sighted on the campus of Iwate University in Morioka, near the gymnasium. The university canceled all classes for the day and urged people to remain inside buildings.

Morioka, Iwate

On the morning of May 14, 2026, an apparently adult bear was sighted on the grounds of Iwate University in Morioka. The university urged people to stay inside buildings and canceled all classes for the day.

Morioka, Iwate

At around 07:40 on the 14th, a police officer spotted one adult bear near the Dōhō dormitory at Iwate University in Ueda, Morioka. The city ordered an emergency shooting operation and restricted passage within a 200-meter radius northwest of the university, but the bear hid in undergrowth and was lost so it could not be culled; the shooting operation was lifted around 17:00 and authorities switched to box traps and conducted night patrols. The university canceled classes from the second period onward that day and suspended in-person classes on the 15th, asking dormitory residents to stay indoors.

Morioka, Iwate

At around 07:30 on May 14, 2026, one bear was sighted on the campus of Iwate University in Morioka (near the dormitory), and it remains on the grounds. Police and city officials are using drones to monitor the situation; some morning classes were canceled, no injuries or property damage have been reported, and the city is considering capture by tranquilizer or emergency culling.

Morioka Shimoota-Shinden, Iwate

At 7:30 AM on May 14, 2026, one bear was sighted near the Prefectural Art Museum in Yasuda, Aomori City, the city reported. No other reports of damage were mentioned.

Aomori Sannai, Aomori

At 7:30 AM on May 14, 2026, the city announced that one bear was sighted near the Aomori Prefectural Museum in Yasuda, Aomori City.

Aomori Sannai, Aomori

Around 7:30 a.m. on May 14, 2026, one Asian black bear (tsukinowaguma) was sighted between the Prefectural Art Museum and the Sannai-Maruyama archaeological site in Yasuda, Aomori City. No injuries or damage were reported.

Aomori Sannai, Aomori

On the morning of the 14th, one bear was sighted on a road near the Sannai Maruyama archaeological site in Aomori City, and police conducted patrols. The center that manages the site has urged visitors to be cautious of bears.

Aomori Sannai, Aomori

At around 06:30 on May 14, an adult bear was sighted near the First Gymnasium on the Iwate University campus, and about an hour later another adult bear was seen near a university dormitory. The university canceled all classes for May 14, asked dorm residents to refrain from going out and warned students to stay inside, while police and prefectural staff continued to monitor the campus. Separately, at around 05:30 the same day an adult bear was also sighted near Iwate Junior & Senior High School in Nagatacho, Morioka.

Morioka, Iwate

On May 14, 2026 at around 06:30, a bear was sighted near the First Gymnasium of Iwate University Ueda Campus in Morioka City, and at about 07:50 another sighting was reported near the Dohou student dormitory. Morioka city and the Iwate prefectural police responded, and the university canceled classes from the second period onward and urged students to go home safely.

Morioka, Iwate

Bear sightings were reported in Morioka between the 13th and the morning of the 14th; around 05:30 a bear was seen near Iwate Junior/Senior High School in Nagatacho, and around 07:40 one was seen near a dormitory on Iwate University's Ueda campus. Police officers confirmed one adult bear on the university grounds but its subsequent whereabouts are unknown; Iwate University canceled the second-period classes and urged students to stay inside.

Morioka Senbokucho, Iwate

Around 05:30 on May 14, 2026, a bear was sighted near Iwate High School in Nagata-cho, Morioka. On the same day, bears were also reported on the Iwate University campus, and the university canceled some classes.

Morioka Senbokucho, Iwate

At around 04:14 on May 14, 2026, a single Asiatic black bear (about 1 meter long) was sighted on a farm road in Yamamoto, Takehana, Kuroishi City; the location is roughly 200 meters northeast of the Tohoku Expressway Takadate PA (upbound), and the bear fled toward the highway. No damage was reported.

Kuroishi 大字竹鼻, Aomori

In the early hours of the 14th, one bear was spotted on the street near Sendai City Sakuragaoka Elementary School in Aoba Ward, Sendai. The school implemented measures such as group dismissal. According to police, the sighting occurred before 3:30 a.m. on the 14th.

Sendai Takimichi, Miyagi

In Sendai's Aoba Ward (Sakuragaoka 8-chome), at around 03:25 on the 14th a female newspaper delivery worker spotted a bear about 1 meter long. At 09:20 a man also saw a similar-sized bear on a promenade in Mizu no Mori Park; nearby schools and a nursery implemented group dismissals or halted outdoor activities, and there were no injuries.

Sendai Takimichi, Miyagi

At Kenmin Seikyo Ayamekan in Sannai, Aomori City, the automatic entrance doors were switched to manual on May 14, 2026, following bear sightings. The store plans to install doorknobs and has placed bear-prevention goods inside to prepare for possible incidents.

Aomori Namidate, Aomori

On May 14, 2026, one bear appeared at Iwate University in Morioka City and remained on the campus. Morioka City decided to carry out an emergency culling and canceled classes, but the shooting was called off due to sunset.

Morioka, Iwate

There were what appeared to be droppings of a young animal on the road.

Morioka, Iwate

While working in an apple pre-cooling shed in an apple orchard, a bear was sighted. Outside the shed, apple boxes and the refrigerator drain pipe were damaged.

Morioka, Iwate

Saw what appeared to be a mother bear and cub at night.

Morioka Atagoshita, Iwate

On the evening of May 13 a single bear was filmed running north across the lawn of Takamatsu Park in Morioka City. According to the city, there were six sightings around Takamatsu Park between the 13th and the morning of the 14th, and the city and police have increased patrols and warnings.

Morioka Atagoshita, Iwate

Around 16:30 on May 13, an adult bear was sighted near the Takamatsu Park rose garden in Ueda Kogamori, Morioka; it moved north toward Uedazutsumi. Police warned nearby schools and residents and patrolled the area by patrol car; no bear-related damage has been confirmed.

Morioka Atagoshita, Iwate

A cub was discovered in the woods at the back (rear of the property).

Aomori Sannai, Aomori

An adult bear was sighted near the Tsunagi multipurpose sports ground. It moved toward the Goshoko (Gosho Lake) area.

Morioka, Iwate

One adult was sighted. It was caught in a deer snare and escaped while permission to capture it was being sought, heading into the mountains.

Morioka Sanbonyanagi, Iwate

On May 13, 2026, between 06:55 and 07:50, four bears were sighted in Aomori City's Namioka area. Sightings occurred near the Michi-no-Eki Namioka Apple Hill (on a national road), a road in Namioaka Sugisawa Kamifukuda, behind The Big Namioka store, and a path beside a residential garden in Inoue; several bears were about 1 meter long and no damage was reported.

Aomori, Aomori

Numerous bear droppings were found on the property of a work shed adjacent to the residence.

Morioka Atagoshita, Iwate

At around 20:35 on the 12th, a driver spotted one bear crossing a road from east to west near a pond in Taihaku 2-chome, Taihaku Ward, Sendai. The bear left the area; there are childcare facilities and houses nearby, and police are patrolling and standing by.

Sendai Hagigaoka, Miyagi

While working in the fields, I spotted a small bear. It noticed me and seemed to run off toward the mountains.

Morioka Kamiota-Uwaze, Iwate

Spotted one adult bear and two cubs near the apple orchard.

Morioka Kamiota-Uwaze, Iwate

[Report] Footprints crossing the road from the east

Kosaka, Akita

On May 12 in Higashinozoe, Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture, one Asiatic black bear was captured in a box trap. The captured bear was a female about 1 meter long and weighing about 60 kg, estimated to be 3–4 years old with no history of giving birth. This was the first capture in the city this year.

Kuroishi 大字東野添, Aomori

Around 18:00 on May 11, one Asiatic black bear (tsukinowaguma) was sighted beside a guardrail along Route 7 in Tsurugasaka, Aomori City. No damage was reported, and the city is urging nearby residents and passersby to be cautious.

Aomori Tsurugasaka, Aomori

Around 13:40 on May 11, 2026, a passerby spotted a single bear about 1 meter long walking in the bamboo thicket near Komatsushima Park in Aoba Ward, Sendai, and called emergency services. The Sendai North Police are urging caution near nearby facilities including Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University and Tohoku High School.

Sendai Komatsu-Shintsutsumi, Miyagi

Observed one adult bear heading north along the road.

Ōshū 水沢, Iwate

Spotted a bear near the Nakano intersection on National Route 4 that moved from west to east (toward Nakano Elementary School).

Morioka, Iwate

At around 06:40 on May 11 in the riverside area of Hirose River near Kokusai Center Station (under the subway Tozai Line) in Aoba Ward, Sendai, a man walking his dog reported seeing two bears—believed to be a parent and cub—about 1.5 m and 0.8 m long. The bears left the scene; police patrolled for about an hour and no further sightings were reported.

Sendai Aobayama, Miyagi

At around 06:30 on the 11th, two bears believed to be a parent and cub were sighted on the banks of the Hirose River beside Nishi Park in Aoba Ward, Sendai. After 13:30 another bear was seen in a bamboo grove at a park in Komatsushima 4-chome; police and Sendai City are patrolling and have issued warnings to nearby schools and the university. The man who reported the sighting was not injured.

Sendai Sakuragaoka-koen, Miyagi

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 13:45 on May 10, the city reported that a single bear about 1 meter long was sighted in an apple orchard east of Yoshinoda Shintameike in the Yoshinoda Nikogesawa area of Namioka, Aomori City.

Aomori, Aomori

A single young bear was sighted near the parking lot reserved for staff of the Handmade Village.

Morioka Higashianiwa, Iwate

At about 08:30 on May 10, 2026, a single bear approximately 1 meter in length was sighted on a walking trail in Shiki no Mori within the Prefectural Forest in Tomiya City (Akashikami-Origemoto). When the walker increased the volume of a radio they were carrying, the bear left the area; there have been no further sightings and the management office is warning visitors over the park's PA system.

Tomiya, Miyagi

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

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

A single medium-sized bear was observed moving toward Iwayama near the Iwayama entrance on National Route 4.

Morioka Sanbonyanagi, 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

On the afternoon of May 9, 2026, a bear was repeatedly sighted in rice fields near Hirakawa City's Osaki-Kidoguchi area and near Hiraga Higashi Elementary School. The municipality authorized an emergency gun hunt, and at around 18:30 hunters killed one adult male Asian black bear (about 1.5 m long, approximately 80 kg). No injuries were reported.

Hirakawa Osaki, Aomori

A single young bear was sighted near the staff-only parking lot of the Handmade Village.

Morioka Kamiota-Uwaze, Iwate

One juvenile bear sighted.

Ōshū 胆沢小山, Iwate

Bear feces are on the road. There are bear tracks nearby.

Morioka Kamiota-Uwaze, Iwate

Bear in the trail on return to resort. Waited 10-15 minutes for it to leave and continued past

Hachimantai, Iwate

At around 06:10 on the 9th, a person driving on the Sendai North Loop Road in Kamiyagari, Izumi Ward, Sendai, spotted a bear about 1 meter long crossing the road. The bear left toward the southern woods and there were no injuries or damage. Police say the sightings on May 6 and at 11:30 on the 9th may be of the same individual and are urging caution.

Sendai Izumichuo-minami, Miyagi

Three bears were sighted in Kamisuwa, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture; no human or property damage has been confirmed.

Hanamaki Kamisuwa, Iwate

A single bear was seen crossing a road in Izumi Ward, Sendai. Multiple sightings have been reported nearby, and officials say it may be the same individual.

Sendai 寺岡, Miyagi

Driver sighted one bear (about 1 m in length) / direction of travel: east / approximately 300 m to the nearest house

Odate, Akita

[Report] While two of us were checking a fallen tree, we found a lot of large scat that was not yet dry. When I stood up after taking photos, I smelled a strong animal odor. Looking around, I noticed a warm, animal-like breath coming from somewhere, so we ran away. About 15 m from a house.

Kazuno Towada-Kemanai, Akita

A single young bear was sighted, believed to have come down from the mountains.

Morioka Shimokuriyagawa, Iwate

A beehive box at the apiary beside the house was knocked over, and one frame was damaged.

Morioka Shimokuriyagawa, 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

A bear about 1 meter long was sighted near Nagasaka River around 14:00 on May 7 in Kamitokawa Tomokawa No.4 (and boundary with No.5) in Kuroishi City. The city is considering installing a box trap; a bear was also seen around 07:10 on May 6 at nearly the same spot, and sightings were reported nearby on May 3 and May 5.

Kuroishi, Aomori

Around 22:00 on May 6 a person in a car sighted a bear about 1 meter long crossing the road at the intersection in front of a shopping mall in Kamiyatagari, Izumi-ku, Sendai. Police patrolled but did not find the bear and there were no injuries. Separately, a bear was sighted on a mountain near Otayachi Elementary School in Ishinomaki on May 2, so an evacuation drill scheduled for May 7 was canceled.

Sendai Izumichuo-minami, Miyagi

Around 22:00 on May 6, 2026, a female driver spotted a single bear about 1 meter long on a prefectural road in Kamitayagari, Izumi Ward, Sendai. The bear crossed a crosswalk at an intersection heading south and disappeared into nearby brush; police patrolled the area but received no further sightings.

Sendai Chomeigaoka-higashi, Miyagi

Around 22:00 on May 6, 2026, a single bear about 1 meter long was sighted near the intersection of the Sendai North Ring Road (Sendai Kita Kanjosen) at Kamiyatagari-Tatewaki, Izumi Ward, Sendai; it left toward the bushes. Police patrolled the area but did not find it afterward, and Izumitakeyama High School notified parents to be cautious by email.

Sendai Chomeigaoka-higashi, Miyagi

Sighted one bear crossing the roadway.

Morioka Higashimirumae, Iwate

A single juvenile bear was sighted near the staff-only parking lot at Tezukuri Village.

Morioka Higashimirumae, Iwate

Observed one juvenile crossing the road from south to north.

Ōshū 水沢佐倉河, Iwate

At around 07:10 on May 6, 2026, a single bear about 1 meter long was sighted near the Nagasaka Riverbed at the boundary between Tomeoka No.4 and No.5 in Kamitogawa, Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture. After the sighting, the bear moved toward the Aoyama/Takeda-cho area.

Kuroishi 竹田町, Aomori

A single young bear was sighted on the elementary school grounds.

Ōshū 江刺稲瀬, Iwate

One juvenile bear was sighted near the business premises.

Ōshū 水沢佐倉河, Iwate

On May 5, 2026 at around 01:20, a bear about 1.5 meters long was sighted near a field in the Hakkō area of Kuroishi City. At around 04:20, another bear of unknown size was sighted near a different field in the same area a few hundred meters away.

Kuroishi 八甲, Aomori

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

Observed one adult bear passing through rice paddies and residential areas, moving into the brush along the Isawa River.

Ōshū 水沢佐倉河, Iwate

Witnessed one adult bear moving through rice paddies and houses, heading into the brush along the Isawa River.

Ōshū 水沢卸町, 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

Observed one young bear jumping over the fence along the Tohoku Expressway service road and moving south.

Ōshū 水沢佐倉河, Iwate

Witnessed one young bear crossing the national highway from east to west near Mizusawa Interchange.

Ōshū 水沢佐倉河, Iwate

Rice paddy / Body length 1 m / 200 m from a residence / 50 m from sighting Vehicle was driving on the road when a bear was discovered in the rice paddy. The bear moved west toward the direction of a waste processing facility.

Kosaka Araya, Akita

Inside Ishidoriya Fureai Sports Park

Hanamaki Ishidoriyacho-Kitaterabayashi, Iwate

Observed one adult bear staying on the road slope for about 5 minutes.

Ōshū 水沢, Iwate

An adult bear was sighted near the garbage collection point.

Morioka Tsuchibuchi, Iwate

One bear sighted in the hot spring facility parking lot

Morioka, Iwate

Witnessed one young bear running away on the roadway.

Morioka, Iwate

One juvenile bear sighted on the road.

Ōshū 水沢佐倉河, 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

An adult bear was behind the garbage collection point near the caller’s residence; it then ran off toward the forested area.

Morioka, Iwate

A black bear (about 1 m) was rummaging through apple crates looking for apples.

Morioka Kado, Iwate

The field plastic mulch was torn, and there were footprints. The compost was disturbed.

Morioka, Iwate

Hachimantai 安比高原, Iwate

On May 1, 2026, sightings of a presumed adult bear were reported multiple times in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture. The bear was seen at 10:50 near the FamilyMart Shibutami store in Shimoda, at 13:50 wandering on the road in Tsukigaoka 2-chome, and at 18:37 knocking over apple boxes in front of a shed in Mon/Suma; no human or property damage was reported.

Morioka Hirakashinden, Iwate

According to Morioka West Police, at around 13:50 on May 1, 2026, a passerby sighted one bear-like animal wandering near the municipal road east of Morioka Juvenile Prison at 15-1 Tsukigaoka 2-chome, Morioka City. The direction it went is unknown, and no human or property damage has been confirmed.

Morioka Hirakashinden, Iwate

At the Kōdōyama trailhead, five hikers sighted a mother and cub bear.

Morioka, Iwate

At around 10:50 on May 1, a single young bear was seen walking near the FamilyMart Shibutami store in Shimoda, Morioka City, and walked toward Shibutami Station. No injuries or damage were reported, and police have warned local residents to be cautious.

Morioka, Iwate

[Post] Witnessed crossing the Jukai Line from south to north

Kosaka, Akita

There are round footprints on the ridges I made. About 15 centimeters in diameter. Could it be a bear?

Morioka, Iwate

One bear sighted.

Ōshū Mizusawa-Miyashitacho, Iwate

was running on the sidewalk

Takizawa 篠木荒屋, 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

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 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

[Post] Spotted a bear cub alone on the highway

Kosaka, Akita

On 2026-04-28, one bear was sighted near Tsurukaya Kindergarten in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture.

Sendai Jiyugaoka, Miyagi

One adult bear sighted.

Ōshū, Iwate

Bear sighted near the hot spring facility.

Takizawa 大沢舛村, Iwate

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

Around 17:20 on April 27, 2026, a passerby sighted one adult bear near the north-side waterway of Takizawa Minami Junior High in Ukai, Takizawa City. According to the Morioka West Police Station, no damage was confirmed. There were also daytime sightings in the surrounding area.

Takizawa 鵜飼滝向, Iwate

[Post]

Kazuno 長牛, Akita

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

Around 14:00 on April 27, one bear was sighted near Mantoku, Dobuchi, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture. The city has urged nearby residents to be cautious.

Morioka Hirakashinden, 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