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This 817 km route runs from Ube to Suwa Garasunosato Museum, passing through Yamaguchi, Nagano, Aichi, Gifu, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Kyoto, Okayama, Osaka, and Shiga. In the past 30 days, 76 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 18 of them. The latest sighting was reported 1 day ago near Otsu Wakabadai, Shiga.
This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
22 places within 1 km of your route, passing through Yamaguchi, Nagano, Aichi, Gifu, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Kyoto, Okayama, Osaka, Shiga.
June 15, around 3:10 AM, Wakabadai
Otsu Wakabadai, Shiga
Waki Sekigahama, Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi
Size: adult
Tatsuno 大字上島, Nagano
A woman saw a bear about 1 meter long walking on a city road in Nagisa Akasaka, Nishinomiya.
Nishinomiya Najio-akasaka, Hyogo
One bear was found trapped in a snare along a forest road in Kawagishi, Okaya City, and was culled.
Okaya Kawagishi, Nagano
Size: Adult
Iida, Nagano
Size: Adult
Okaya Kawagishi, Nagano
Size: juvenile
Iida 大休, Nagano
Around 17:10 on June 11, a bear was sighted in Kami-shima, Tatsuno Town.
Tatsuno 大字上島, Nagano
An adult Asian black bear (Tsukinowaguma) was captured on a sensor camera installed in a forest about 700 meters north of JR Dojo Station in Kita Ward, Kobe City.
Kobe Dojocho-Shiota, Hyogo
A bear appearance was confirmed in Dojo-cho, Kita Ward, Kobe City.
Kobe Dojocho-Kusakabe, Hyogo
A bear has been sighted.
Ōtake Onihara, Hiroshima
Size: adult and cub
Iida, Nagano
Size: young cub
Tatsuno 大字上島, Nagano
Size: juvenile
Minowa 大字中箕輪, Nagano
Size: adult with cub(s)
Iida, Nagano
Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi
At the bend in the mountain trail where vehicles meet head-on
Nakatsugawa, Gifu
Size: Adult
Okaya Kawagishi, Nagano
Size: Adult
Okaya Kawagishi, Nagano
Kudamatsu 大字中須南, Yamaguchi
At around 5:00 a.m. on the 7th, a driver who was passing through reported seeing a bear via a 110 emergency call inside the Okada Tunnel (482 meters) on a municipal road in Asamachi, Asakita Ward, Hiroshima City.
Hiroshima Asacho-Tsutsuse, Hiroshima
A man reported seeing a bear in Kamisōchō Shirasawa, Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture.
Kakogawa Kamisocho-Shirasawa, Hyogo
It came down from the mountain side onto the road and crossed the road. Appeared to be a bear.
Ena 長島町正家, Gifu
Size: adult with cubs
Iida Takinosawa, Nagano
Around 8:00 p.m. on June 6, a bear was sighted in Midorii 7-chome, Asaminami Ward, Hiroshima City.
Hiroshima, Hiroshima
There was a bear sighting.
Ōtake Mitsuishicho, Hiroshima
Ena 三郷町野井, Gifu
Size: Unknown
Iida 宮ノ上, Nagano
Hiroshima City Asa Zoo confirmed the presence of one wild Asiatic black bear (Tsukinowaguma).
Hiroshima Kamiyasu 7-chome, Hiroshima
Kudamatsu 大字河内, Yamaguchi
A person in a car saw one bear crossing a prefectural road in Kawachi, Kudamatsu City.
Kudamatsu 大字河内, Yamaguchi
Size: adult
Ina Nishimachi, Nagano
A woman driving a car spotted one bear on a prefectural road in Kuwabarata-cho, Kasai City.
Kasai Kuwaharadacho, Hyogo
A woman driving on a prefectural road in Kuwaharadacho, Kasai City, saw one bear.
Kasai Kuwaharadacho, Hyogo
Size: juvenile
Ina Nishiminowa, Nagano
Size: adult with cub(s)
Iida 大休, Nagano
Ena 長島町正家, Gifu
Size: Adult
Okaya, Nagano
Size: adult
Ina Araiuchinokaya, Nagano
One bear was sighted walking through a field in Oizumi Shinden, Nishiminowa, Ina City, Nagano; later hunters and officials also confirmed it and saw it head north.
Ina, Nagano
Asian black bear sightings in Toyono Town.
Toyono Yoshikawa, Osaka
Size: juvenile
Iida 白山町, Nagano
Yamaguchi 佐山, Yamaguchi
Ube 大字山中, Yamaguchi
Size: Unknown
Tatsuno 大字小野, Nagano
Hofu 大字牟礼, Yamaguchi
One bear-like animal was sighted walking on a road in Mure, Hofu City.
Hofu 大字牟礼, Yamaguchi
Size: cub (juvenile)
Takamori Ushimaki, Nagano
It might have been a Japanese serow, but there was an animal with four legs and one head. Its snout was shorter than a wild boar’s and its legs were long. It walked differently from a dog; the part equivalent to the shoe on a human is shaped more like a human’s. With all four legs on the ground, its body length reached from a person’s buttocks to their waist. Its tail was not visible to the naked eye.
Kasugai 神屋町, Aichi
Size: Unknown
Toyooka Kumashiro, Nagano
Signs of a bear sighting have been confirmed
Ōtake Mitsuishicho, Hiroshima
Shunan 大字譲羽, Yamaguchi
Iwakuni 周東町中山, Yamaguchi
Size: Juvenile
Ina Nakanohara, Nagano
Nakatsugawa, Gifu
Nakatsugawa Magome, Gifu
Size: Adult
Minowa 大字中箕輪, Nagano
Size: adult
Okaya Minato, Nagano
At about 08:45 on May 21, 2026, a report was received that a bear crossed a prefectural road in Miyauchi, Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and tracks believed to be from a bear were confirmed at the scene. There had been a sighting near a housing complex the previous day, and elementary and junior high schools in the school district dismissed students at the same time.
Hatsukaichi Miyauchi-kogyodanchi, Hiroshima
Reported that a bear crossed the road while driving.
Hatsukaichi Toge, Hiroshima
A caller to emergency services reported one bear-like animal on a slope between a residential area and the mountains.
Hatsukaichi Shikigaoka-kami, Hiroshima
In the forests of Ina City (Hirasawa and Nishiminowa), Asiatic black bears were found caught in traps early on the morning of the 20th. In Hirasawa, a roughly 9-year-old female and a nearby cub were captured; in Nishiminowa Fukiage, a roughly 9-year-old female was trapped but the cub escaped. The three captured bears were handled according to prefectural policy.
Ina Masumigaoka, Nagano
Asian black bear sightings in Toyono Town.
Toyono Yoshikawa, Osaka
Size: Unknown
Tatsuno 中央, Nagano
Size: Adult
Shiojiri Kyushiojiri, Nagano
Size: juvenile
Takamori Ushimaki, Nagano
Around 22:00 on May 18, a passenger car struck a bear near the ramp of the Hatsukaichi Junction on the Sanyo Expressway/Hiroshima-Iwakuni Road (up line) in Miyauchi, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, and the driver called 110. The bear died from the collision.
Hatsukaichi Miyauchi-kogyodanchi, Hiroshima
Nakatsugawa, Gifu
Witnessed during a morning walk
Hiroshima Asacho-Kegi, Hiroshima
At around 20:40 on May 17, 2026, a single bear about 50 cm long was sighted in a residential area about 60 meters south of Kimii-chi Nursery in Nakasu, Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture. Police arrived but the bear had already left; police and city officials patrolled the area the next morning and warned residents, and no damage has been confirmed.
Suwa Nakasu, Nagano
Nakatsugawa 茄子川, Gifu
At around 19:40 on May 17, 2026, a bear about 1 meter long was sighted crossing the road north of Iida Cultural Hall in Takaba-cho, Iida City, Nagano Prefecture; police arrived but the bear had already left. On the morning of the 18th, police and city officials remained on alert and warned nearby residents, and no further sightings or damage have been reported.
Iida Takahacho, Nagano
On the night of May 17, 2026, one bear was sighted on a road in Takahachimachi, Iida City, Nagano Prefecture; a driver reported seeing it cross the road just after 7:30 p.m. Police and the city urged caution and carried out patrols on the morning of the 18th to coincide with children’s school commute times.
Iida Takahacho, Nagano
While walking along the 4-chome forest path in Meiji Village (between SL Nagoya Station and Meiji Coffee Time House), a bear about 1 meter tall ran up the mountain from the uphill side right next to the path. When I put about 10 meters of distance between us, it watched us for a while.
Inuyama 字内山, Aichi
Peak activity at 18:00 with 7 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, 76 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 18 of them.
The latest sighting was reported 1 day ago near Otsu Wakabadai, Shiga.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 18:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 817 km route runs from Ube to Suwa Garasunosato Museum, passing through Yamaguchi, Nagano, Aichi, Gifu, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Kyoto, Okayama, Osaka, and Shiga. In the past 30 days, 76 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 18 of them. The latest sighting was reported 1 day ago near Otsu Wakabadai, Shiga. This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
