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This 298 km route runs from Tamura to Karuizawa, passing through Fukushima, Nagano, Gunma, and Tochigi. In the past 30 days, 83 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 9 of them. The latest sighting was reported 1 day ago near Karuizawa 中軽井沢, Nagano.
This is an active bear corridor. Rerouting or rescheduling your hike is strongly advised.
3 places within 1 km of your route, passing through Fukushima, Nagano, Gunma, Tochigi.
Around 17:45 on 2026-06-14, a bear was sighted in Nagakura, Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture.
Karuizawa 中軽井沢, Nagano
Around 21:50 on 2026-06-13, a bear was sighted in Yokokawa, Matsuidamachi, Annaka, Gunma.
Annaka 松井田町横川, Gunma
Annaka 松井田町土塩, Gunma
Ohtawara 荻野目, Tochigi
One bear was found and captured on a residential lot in Higashiyanaze, Utsunomiya.
Utsunomiya Yanazemachi, Tochigi
One Japanese black bear, believed to be a young adult male, was captured using a tranquilizer dart and box trap in the grounds of a house in Higashiyanaze 1-chome, Utsunomiya City.
Utsunomiya Yanazemachi, Tochigi
Annaka 松井田町土塩, Gunma
A veterinarian fired an anesthetic dart at a bear inside a residential property in Higashiyanase 1-chome, Utsunomiya City; the third shot may have hit the bear.
Utsunomiya Yanazemachi, Tochigi
One bear that fled into the grounds of a house in Higashiyanasé, Utsunomiya City, was captured by a hunters' association around 3:40 PM the same day.
Utsunomiya Yanazemachi, Tochigi
A bear sighting was reported in the residential area of Hiramatsumotocho, Utsunomiya.
Utsunomiya 平松本町, Tochigi
A bear was sighted in Shiguracho, Utsunomiya City.
Utsunomiya 問屋町, Tochigi
A bear was captured on security camera at an apartment building in Hiramatsumoto-cho, Utsunomiya.
Utsunomiya 平松本町, Tochigi
One bear was sighted in Hiramatsumotocho, Utsunomiya.
Utsunomiya 平松本町, Tochigi
The bear was sighted again in Hiramatsu Honmachi, about 700 meters southwest of Utsunomiya University Mine Campus.
Utsunomiya 平松本町, Tochigi
A bear was filmed swimming in the Natsube River in Higashi-Yanaze 1-chome, Utsunomiya.
Utsunomiya 宮みらい, Tochigi
One bear entered a residential lot in Higashi-Yanaze, Utsunomiya, and was later captured by a hunters' association.
Utsunomiya Yanazemachi, Tochigi
Nasukarasuyama Kamikawai, Tochigi
On Monday, June 8 at approximately 9:35 p.m., near the 184.3-kilometer post on the inbound (upbound) lanes of the Tohoku Expressway at 40-2 Ikenoiriyama, Fumase, Izumizaki Village, a large commercial truck driven by a man in his 50s, traveling in the first lane of the inbound direction, collided with a bear (about 1.5 m in body length) that crossed from the right side to the left of the vehicle’s direction of travel. The driver of the vehicle sustained no injuries. There were no passengers. The bear was confirmed dead at the scene of the traffic accident.
Izumizaki Fumase, Fukushima
On June 8 (Monday) at approximately 5:50 PM, in the Kurokawa area below Shirasaka, Shirakawa City, a witness (male in his teens) spotted one bear (about 2 meters in body length) by the roadside while riding a bicycle.
Shirakawa, Fukushima
On June 8, a bear was sighted in Yonan, Utsunomiya City.
Utsunomiya 江曽島本町, Tochigi
A bear was sighted in Yonan 1-chome, Utsunomiya City.
Utsunomiya 西原町, Tochigi
Utsunomiya 宮本町, Tochigi
On June 8, a bear was sighted in Yanaze Town, Utsunomiya City.
Utsunomiya Yanazemachi, Tochigi
Utsunomiya Yanazemachi, Tochigi
Utsunomiya 西原町, Tochigi
Near the BMW, I saw it running from the field or rice paddy toward the grove of trees. I was driving and looked to the right when I saw it, so there are no photos. It wasn't in front, so the dashcam didn’t record it either.
Kanuma 深津, Tochigi
One bear was sighted on a city road in Takinohara 3, Utsunomiya.
Utsunomiya 大塚町, Tochigi
Sighting reported around Utsunomiya, Takinokahara 3-chome area.
Utsunomiya 大塚町, Tochigi
Around 5:15 on June 7, one bear was sighted in Otsuka-cho, Utsunomiya City.
Utsunomiya 大塚町, Tochigi
It was reported seen in this area. Residents of Utsunomiya City, please be careful!
Utsunomiya 明保野町, Tochigi
A bear was sighted at a park in Aikobano-cho, Utsunomiya City.
Utsunomiya 明保野町, Tochigi
A bear crossed in front of pedestrians on Orion Street in Utsunomiya and was captured on a fixed camera.
Utsunomiya Enomachi, Tochigi
A bear ran past a pedestrian on Orion-dori in central Utsunomiya City.
Utsunomiya Enomachi, Tochigi
Utsunomiya 大塚町, Tochigi
A bear was sighted in Nishikawada-cho, Utsunomiya City.
Utsunomiya 西川田町, Tochigi
A bear sighting was reported at Aikeno Park in Utsunomiya on the morning of June 7.
Utsunomiya 明保野町, Tochigi
Utsunomiya 明保野町, Tochigi
Utsunomiya 大塚町, Tochigi
Utsunomiya Honcho, Tochigi
Utsunomiya Mageshicho, Tochigi
Utsunomiya 大塚町, Tochigi
Utsunomiya 東原町, Tochigi
A bear was sighted in Kamiozocho.
Utsunomiya 上大曽町, Tochigi
A bear was sighted in Fujimigaoka 1, Utsunomiya.
Utsunomiya 山本町, Tochigi
Utsunomiya 八幡台, Tochigi
Size: adult (fully grown)
Karuizawa 大字長倉, Nagano
Bear sightings were reported one after another in Utsunomiya City, and at night a bear was captured on security camera running through Orion Dori.
Utsunomiya Enomachi, Tochigi
A bear was sighted walking north on a city road in Fujimigaoka 1-chome, Utsunomiya City.
Utsunomiya 山本町, Tochigi
Around 8:30 PM on 2026-06-06, a bear 60–80 cm long was seen in Yamamoto, Utsunomiya, Tochigi. No injuries were reported.
Utsunomiya 八幡台, Tochigi
Utsunomiya 戸祭台, Tochigi
Utsunomiya 戸祭台, Tochigi
An animal believed to be a bear was sighted in Yokokawa, Matsuida-machi, Annaka City.
Annaka 松井田町横川, Gunma
A bear was sighted in Nagakura, Karuizawa Town, around 9:30 AM on June 5.
Karuizawa 中軽井沢, Nagano
Size: Adult
Karuizawa, Nagano
Size: adult with cub
Karuizawa, Nagano
On 2026-06-02 around noon, a bear was sighted in Karuizawa, Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture.
Karuizawa 大字軽井沢, Nagano
Size: Adult (fully grown)
Karuizawa 大字追分, Nagano
Around 7:00 PM on May 31, a bear-like animal was spotted in Shimonote, Honjo City.
Honjo 小和瀬, Saitama
One bear was sighted in Oiwake, Karuizawa Town. A nearby resident reported seeing a large black object moving in the forest.
Karuizawa 大字追分, Nagano
One bear was sighted in Karuizawa, Karuizawa Town; the area has nearby homes and the bear was about 1 meter long.
Karuizawa 中軽井沢, Nagano
Size: unknown
Karuizawa 大字追分, Nagano
Size: adult
Karuizawa 大字長倉, Nagano
Ashikaga 中川町, Tochigi
Size: Adult (fully grown)
Karuizawa 大字長倉, Nagano
Size: adult (fully grown)
Karuizawa 大字長倉, Nagano
Size: adult
Karuizawa 大字長倉, Nagano
Around 4:00 PM on May 28, a bear was sighted in Nagakura, Karuizawa Town.
Karuizawa 中軽井沢, Nagano
Annaka 秋間みのりが丘, Gunma
Size: Adult
Karuizawa 大字長倉, Nagano
Size: Adult (fully grown)
Karuizawa 大字追分, Nagano
Around 5 PM on 2026-05-25, a bear was sighted in Oiwake, Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture.
Karuizawa 大字追分, Nagano
One bear was seen crossing a city road in Futabishin-den, Shirakawa City, around 19:30.
Shirakawa 双石, Fukushima
On Sunday, May 24 at approximately 7:30 p.m., within Futaishinden area of Shirakawa City, on a municipal road, a witness walking a dog along the road observed one bear (about 1 m in body length) crossing the road.
Shirakawa 双石, Fukushima
On Sunday, May 24 at around 5:00 p.m., a male witness spotted one bear (about 1 meter in length) on the riverbed of the Abukuma River in the Hara area of Hamao, Sukagawa City, while walking. The bear's subsequent whereabouts are unknown.
Sukagawa 下小山田, Fukushima
On Friday, May 22 at approximately 8:28 p.m., on the Otokotaki Bridge over the Abukuma River in the Tanaka Tsuchinai area of Sukagawa City, a witness (male) driving across the bridge observed one bear (about 1.5 m in length) walking near the middle of the bridge. The bear then briefly moved eastward and its subsequent whereabouts are unknown.
Sukagawa 市野関, Fukushima
A bear was sighted in Tanakadonai, Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture, around 20:28 on May 22.
Sukagawa 市野関, Fukushima
Size: adult
Karuizawa 軽井沢, Nagano
At around 04:40 on May 20, 2026, one presumed Asiatic black bear was sighted near the riverbank north of Watarase Bridge in Tori 4-chome, Ashikaga City. The city also reported a related incident on May 10 in Omata Town where an approximately 100 kg bear was mistakenly caught in a trap and culled.
Ashikaga 南町, Tochigi
A bear was sighted in Nasu Town, Tochigi Prefecture. The article is behind a paywall on Shimotsuke Shimbun Digital, so further details are not publicly available.
Nasu 富岡, Tochigi
At about 6:36 p.m. on May 19, an animal believed to be a bear (approximately 1 to 1.5 m in body length) was sighted in Masaku area, Sugaya Aza, Takine-machi, Tamura City. The animal believed to be a bear left for nearby woodland.
Tamura Ogoemachi-Kuride, Fukushima
On May 19 at approximately 6:35 p.m., an animal believed to be a bear (body length about 1 to 1.5 meters) was sighted in the Kitanochi area of Kuride, Ōgoshi-machi, Tamura City. The animal believed to be a bear left the area and returned to nearby mountain forest.
Tamura Ogoemachi-Kuride, Fukushima
At approximately 1:10 p.m. on May 19, animals believed to be bears (each about 1.0 to 1.5 m in length) were sighted in the Nagashi-ta area, Kadosawa, Funahiki-machi, Tamura City. The animals believed to be bears left for the nearby forested mountains.
Tamura Funehikimachi-Kunugiyama, Fukushima
At around 11:25 a.m. on Tuesday, May 19, an animal believed to be a bear (approximately 1 m in length) was sighted in the Sodehara area, Horikoshi, Funahiki-machi, Tamura City. The animal believed to be a bear left toward nearby woodland. There were four other similar sightings in the area on Monday, May 18 from around 7:20 p.m., in Monju and Horikoshi, Funahiki-machi, Tamura City.
Tamura Funehikimachi-Kunugiyama, Fukushima
Peak activity at 5:00 with 5 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, 83 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 9 of them.
The latest sighting was reported 1 day ago near Karuizawa 中軽井沢, Nagano.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 5:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 298 km route runs from Tamura to Karuizawa, passing through Fukushima, Nagano, Gunma, and Tochigi. In the past 30 days, 83 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 9 of them. The latest sighting was reported 1 day ago near Karuizawa 中軽井沢, Nagano. This is an active bear corridor. Rerouting or rescheduling your hike is strongly advised.
