This 154 km route runs from Sendai Tōshō-gū to Tsuruoka, passing through Miyagi and Yamagata. In the past 30 days, 49 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 19 of them. The latest sighting was reported 16 hours ago near Sagae 中央工業団地, Yamagata.
This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
5 places within 1 km of your route, passing through Miyagi, Yamagata.
On May 20, 2026 at about 14:50, two bears about 1 meter long were sighted in the Chuo Industrial Park in Sagae City; they were reported moving from near the Chateraise factory toward the TPR factory.
Sagae 中央工業団地, Yamagata
On the afternoon of the 20th, a bear was sighted in the central industrial park of Sagae City, Yamagata Prefecture; about 30 minutes later city staff saw two bears near a neighboring factory, and around 16:30 there was another bear sighting at a different factory. The city believes the bears likely left the industrial park, firefighters are searching with drones, and after sunset they plan to contain and capture any bears found.
Sagae 中央工業団地, Yamagata
Near the brush above the forest park, it was crossing the gravel path.
Sendai Dainohara-shinrinkoen, 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
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, a woman walking in Taihara Forest Park in Aoba Ward, Sendai, sighted a bear walking northward and called emergency services. There were no injuries; the Sendai North Police reported it was a single bear.
Sendai Dainohara-shinrinkoen, 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
At around 05:35 on May 20, 2026, a single bear about 1 meter long was sighted in Taihaku Forest Park in Aoba Ward, Sendai. The city closed eight main park access points, installed two cameras near the eastern large pond, and prohibited passage in almost the entire park for the time being.
Sendai Dainohara-shinrinkoen, Miyagi
At around 05:35 on May 20, a person walking in Taihara Forest Park in Aoba Ward, Sendai City, reported seeing a single bear about 1 meter long walking south to north near the rock garden. The police are patrolling the area with patrol cars and urging caution about entering the park.
Sendai Kitane-Kuromatsu, Miyagi
At around 05:30 on the 20th, a woman walking near the rock garden (Iwasakuen) in Taihara Forest Park, Aoba Ward, Sendai, spotted one bear about 1 meter long and reported it to the police. The bear left northward and there have been no further sightings; police are patrolling the area and warning residents.
Sendai Kitane-Kuromatsu, Miyagi
At around 05:30 on May 20, 2026, a woman walking in Taihara Forest Park in Aoba-ku, Sendai, spotted a bear about 1 meter in length and reported it to the police. According to the police, the bear walked away to the north.
Sendai Dainohara-shinrinkoen, Miyagi
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
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
On May 17, in Sendai City a newspaper delivery worker spotted one bear early in the morning. The article does not provide further details such as injuries or whether the bear was captured or removed.
Sendai Futsukamachi, Miyagi
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
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
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 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
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
At around 03:25 on the 14th, a bear about 1 meter long was seen climbing over the fence from the road into the grounds of Sakuraoka Elementary School in Sakuraoka 8-chome, Aoba Ward, Sendai. There were no injuries and no further sightings; the school decided not to use the playground and to send pupils home in groups, and police warned residents to be cautious.
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
Around 2:00 a.m. on the 13th, two bears were sighted in front of Tohoku University Aobayama Campus in Aramaki Aoba, Aoba Ward, Sendai. A student reported it to the university, which notified the police in the afternoon; there were no injuries.
Sendai Aramaki, Miyagi
Around 02:00 on the 13th, a Tohoku University student in Aramaki Aoba, Aoba Ward, Sendai, called 110 reporting a cub and an adult bear in the bushes; the two bears fled into the bushes. The Sendai Central Police Station has urged caution in the area.
Sendai Aramaki, Miyagi
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
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
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
Around 15:30 on the 10th, a motorist passing on Prefectural Route 55 in Imozawa Ootakehara, Aoba Ward, Sendai, spotted a bear about 50 cm long and called emergency services. The bear left the road and entered the bushes; police are patrolling the area and advising caution.
Sendai Shimo-Ayashi, Miyagi
Around 21:30 on May 5, a person in a car saw a bear about 1 meter long crossing the road in Moniwa Hitokurada Higashi, Taihaku Ward, Sendai (near the Tohoku Expressway Sendai Minami IC). Later, at about 22:10 the same day, a bear was also seen crossing a road in a residential area in Nihondaira, roughly 600 meters north of the first sighting.
Sendai Nihondaira, Miyagi
On the night of the 5th, a person in a car in Moniwa Hitokurita Higashi, Taihaku Ward, Sendai, spotted a bear about 1 meter long crossing the road at around 21:30. The bear headed toward the Natori River, and at 22:10 another sighting of a bear crossing a road was reported about 600 meters north in the Nihondaira residential area; police have issued a warning.
Sendai Nihondaira, Miyagi
Around 17:35 on May 5, a resident spotted a bear about 1 meter long in a green strip in Nishikigaoka 9-chome, Aoba Ward, Sendai. At 22:30 a bear, possibly the same individual, was seen sitting in green space opposite the road near the Sendai City Observatory in Nishikigaoka 5-chome; in all cases the bear left and no damage was reported.
Sendai Kami-Ayashi, Miyagi
On May 5, 2026 at around 17:30, a man walking in green space in Nishikigaoka 9-chome, Aoba Ward, Sendai, spotted a bear about 1 meter long. After police patrols failed to find it, at about 22:30 the same day a bear believed to be the same individual was seen again near the Sendai Observatory, and the police urged caution.
Sendai Kami-Ayashi, Miyagi
At around 17:30 on May 5, in a green area of Nishikigaoka 9-chome, Aoba Ward, Sendai, a walker sighted a bear about 1 meter long. Police patrolled but did not find it; roughly five hours later a bear of similar size was seen about 600 meters to the south in another green area, after which it fled southwest and was not seen again. Police warned it may be the same individual.
Sendai Kami-Ayashi, Miyagi
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
Body length 1 m, was walking
Natori Sogodai-Higashi 1-chome, Miyagi
At around 06:20 on April 30, 2026, a single bear was sighted moving from the Omi area of Yamabe Town toward Otsuka and Yōgai districts in Yamagata Prefecture. No human or property damage has been confirmed so far, and the police have warned residents that the bear may be hiding nearby.
Yamanobe 近江, Yamagata
On 2026-04-30 just after 06:00, residents in Omi, Yamanobe Town, Yamagata Prefecture reported a bear sighting, and sightings were also reported in the nearby Otsuka and Yōgai districts. The town warned that it may be the same individual and urged caution; the prefecture noted an increase in sightings and advised residents to avoid early-morning/night outings and not to leave household garbage outside.
Yamanobe 近江, Yamagata
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
At 02:45 on April 28, 2026, a roughly 1-meter-long bear was seen walking on a road in a residential area near Taihaku Park, Taihaku 1-chome, Sendai; a passing motorist reported it to police. The bear left northward into the woods; there were no injuries and police patrolled the area but did not find it.
Sendai Sahoyama, Miyagi
On 2026-04-28, one bear was sighted near Tsurukaya Kindergarten in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture.
Sendai Jiyugaoka, Miyagi
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
At around 07:50 this morning a single bear was sighted near Kuramashi North Community Center in Kuramashi, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture; the city and police are conducting patrols. The bear was reported moving within roughly 300–400 meters north of the community center; the city has urged nearby residents not to approach and to report any sightings promptly.
Tendo 大字窪野目, Yamagata
Around 13:55 on the 25th, five elementary school children playing near a grove in Tsurugayanorth 2-chome, Miyagino-ku, Sendai, sighted two bears about 1 meter long. The children evacuated to a friend's house with no injuries; there have been no further sightings, and police are warning residents near nearby schools (Nankodai Higashi elementary and junior high) and housing areas.
Sendai Tsurugaya, Miyagi
On April 25, 2026 at about 13:55, two bears about 1 meter long were sighted by an elementary school pupil in Tsurugaya-kita 2-chome, Miyagino Ward, Sendai. Earlier that day at about 07:30 two bears were seen on a road in Sambongi Otonashi, Osaki, and at 13:40 one bear was sighted in a rice field in Komatsu, Higashimatsushima; no human or property damage has been reported. Police are patrolling and urging caution.
Sendai Tsurugaya, Miyagi
At around 09:20 on April 22, 2026, a single bear about 1 meter long was sighted in a residential area in Goro-roku, Aoba Ward, Sendai, and moved north. Police patrolled the area and issued warnings, and there have been no further sightings.
Sendai Goroku, Miyagi
A bear that appeared in Kicho-dori 2-chome, Aoba Ward, Sendai City was captured by the city using emergency shooting. The city received a total of 12 opinions regarding that decision, including protests such as "do not cull"; 5 were negative from an animal welfare perspective, 2 supported prompt removal, and 5 were comments on bear-countermeasure policies.
Sendai Futsukamachi, Miyagi
Peak activity at 13:00 with 8 incidents
Ursus thibetanus japonicus
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In the past 30 days, 49 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 19 of them.
The latest sighting was reported 16 hours ago near Sagae 中央工業団地, Yamagata.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 13:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 154 km route runs from Sendai Tōshō-gū to Tsuruoka, passing through Miyagi and Yamagata. In the past 30 days, 49 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 19 of them. The latest sighting was reported 16 hours ago near Sagae 中央工業団地, Yamagata. This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
