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This 47 km route runs from Inawashiro to Aizuwakamatsu within Fukushima. In the past 30 days, 72 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 15 of them. The latest sighting was reported 1 day ago near Inawashiro 大字金田, Fukushima.
This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
On Monday, June 22, at approximately 11:49 a.m., on the JR Ban'etsu West Line right-of-way within Goto, Sekito, Inawashiro Town, a train driver operating a train toward Aizuwakamatsu City collided with one bear (length unknown) that entered the right-of-way from the right. No injuries reported.
Inawashiro 大字金田, Fukushima
On June 21 (Sunday) at approximately 6:10 PM, near the 95.6-kilometer post on the outbound (Niigata-bound) lanes of the Ban-etsu Expressway in Mochida, Kawageta, Inawashiro Town, a driver in his 40s observed a bear approximately 1 meter in body length on the south side of the road while traveling on the Ban-etsu Expressway outbound (toward Niigata). The bear’s movements after being sighted are unknown.
Inawashiro 大字関都, Fukushima
On Sunday, June 21 at around 3:30 p.m., on the Banetsu West Line within Maeda, Sekito, Inawashiro Town, a train driver, while operating a train headed toward Aizuwakamatsu City, sighted one bear (approximately 50 cm in body length) on the track area. The bear then left into the woods on the west side.
Inawashiro 大字金田, Fukushima
Around 15:30 on 2026-06-21 in Sekito Maeda, Inawashiro Town, a JR Ban'etsu West Line train driver saw one bear about 0.5 m long inside the track area while operating the train.
Inawashiro 大字金田, Fukushima
One bear was seen leaving the roadside for the mountains in Hayama, Inawashiro Town.
Inawashiro 字葉山, Fukushima
On Saturday, June 20 at approximately 6:40 a.m., in the Hayama area of Inawashiro Town, beside a municipal road, a witness (male in his 60s) traveling eastbound by vehicle on the road observed one bear (approximately 80 cm in body length) on the left roadside walking off into the northern woodland.
Inawashiro 字大沢, Fukushima
Two bears were sighted climbing a tree in a mountain forest south of a paddy field in Minato-machi Oaza Akai, Aizuwakamatsu City.
Aizuwakamatsu Minatomachi-Akai, Fukushima
On Friday, June 19 at approximately 8:10 a.m., in the Ishimura area of Oto-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a witness (male in his 30s) driving a vehicle observed one bear (about 50 cm in body length) crossing the road. The bear’s movements after being sighted are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Otomachi-Ishimura, Fukushima
In Aizuwakamatsu City Oto-machi Ishimura, around 08:10, one bear measuring 0.5 m was crossing the road.
Aizuwakamatsu Otomachi-Ishimura, Fukushima
On Thursday, June 18 at approximately 8:25 p.m., on Prefectural Route 7 (Inawashiro-Shiogawa Line) in Gongenmori area, Sarashina, Bandai Town, a witness traveling eastbound by vehicle observed a bear (about 1 m in body length) crossing the road from south to north. The bear then left heading north toward the rice fields.
Bandai, Fukushima
On Thursday, June 18 at around 5:30 p.m., a bear about 1 meter long was sighted on the grounds of a resident’s home in Higashinakamura, Nagata, Inawashiro Town. The resident had been tending flowers in the garden when they spotted the bear on their property. The bear subsequently left, heading into the woods to the east.
Inawashiro 字堤西, Fukushima
One bear (about 0.5 m long) crossed the road in Shimouya, Otomachi, Aizuwakamatsu City.
Aizuwakamatsu Otomachi-Shimoamaya, Fukushima
On Thursday, June 18 at around 4:10 p.m., in the Otoe-machi Shimo-Ameya area of Aizuwakamatsu City, a witness (male, in his 60s) observed one bear (approximately 50 cm in body length) crossing the road while driving. The bear’s movements after the sighting are unknown.
Aizumisato 大石, Fukushima
A man driving a car saw one bear cross the road in Oto-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City.
Aizuwakamatsu Otomachi-Ashinomaki, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 16 at about 10:15 p.m., in Kamiuhara, Oaza Otani, Bandai Town, a witness on a municipal road (woman in her 50s) observed one bear (approximately 1 m in body length) crossing the municipal road from north to south while she was driving.
Bandai 大字大谷, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 16, at approximately 6:06 p.m., near the 94.4-kilometer post on the downhill (eastbound) lanes of the Ban-etsu Expressway in Sekito, Inawashiro Town, a vehicle driver (male, in his 50s) traveling on the expressway toward Inawashiro spotted a bear crossing the highway from west to east. The bear, about 1 meter in body length, left the highway and went into the forested area on the east side of the expressway.
Inawashiro 大字関都, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 16 at around 5:30 p.m., on company premises in Dōhigashi, Ōtani, Bandai Town, a witness, while walking through the parking lot, spotted one bear (approximately 80 cm in body length) in the parking area. The bear left the company grounds and went into the grove of mixed trees north of the premises.
Bandai, Fukushima
On Monday, June 15 at approximately 10:55 p.m., in the Hanamigaoka 1-chome area of Aizuwakamatsu City, a witness (male in his 50s) while at home observed one bear (about 1 m in body length) in a vacant lot on the south side of his residence. The bear ran off to the west; its subsequent whereabouts are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Takaramachi, Fukushima
Around 16:50 on Monday, June 15, a witness (male, in his 50s) driving a vehicle in Yumoto, Higashiyama-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, spotted a bear about 1.5 m in length crossing the road. The bear ran from that location toward the forested area to the north, and its subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Higashiyamamachi-Yumoto, Fukushima
Around 14:00 on 2026-06-15, a bear was sighted at Takatsukayama in Minamitakano, Kawanumachi, Aizuwakamatsu City.
Aizuwakamatsu Kawahigashimachi-Minamikoya, Fukushima
On Sunday, June 14 at approximately 1:43 p.m., near the 90.9 km post on the downhill lane of the Ban-etsu Expressway by 1684 Saka-ya, Tsuboyō, Inawashiro Town, a passenger car driven by a man in his 80s, while traveling in the first lane of the downhill direction, collided with a bear cub (about 50 cm in body length) that crossed from the right to the left side of the travel direction. The driver and passenger of the vehicle were not injured. The bear left the scene of the traffic accident.
Inawashiro 大字壺楊, Fukushima
On Friday, June 12 at around 5:00 p.m., on a municipal road in Kaminouchi, Iwanosato, Inawashiro Town, an eyewitness (female in her 80s) spotted one bear (approximately 1 m in length) crossing the municipal road from west to east while she was driving.
Inawashiro 字五十軒道南, Fukushima
On Friday, June 12, at around 8:00 a.m., a witness spotted one bear (approximately 1 m in body length) in the trees of a mulberry tree in a grove within a stand of mixed woods in Maehama, Tsuboyō, Inawashiro Town, to the west of the witness's residence.
Inawashiro 大字金田, Fukushima
On Friday, June 12 at approximately 7:50 a.m., in Inawashiro Town, Gorinbara area, on a municipal road, a witness driving south along the road observed one bear (about 1 m in body length) crossing the road from east to west and leaving into the forest.
Inawashiro 字五輪原, Fukushima
One bear was sighted crossing a town road and leaving into the forest in Gorinbara, Inawashiro Town.
Inawashiro 字五輪原, Fukushima
On Thursday, June 11 at approximately 3:40 p.m., a witness spotted one bear (about 50 cm in body length) in a parking lot in Yumoto Kamiyumoto area, Higashiyama-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City. The bear’s subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Higashiyamamachi-Yumoto, Fukushima
On Wednesday, June 10 at approximately 7:05 p.m., in the Hayama area of Inawashiro Town on a municipal road, a witness (male in his 50s) driving a vehicle saw one bear (about 1 m in body length) crossing the road from south to north.
Inawashiro 字高塚山, Fukushima
One bear crossed a town road in Hayama, Inawashiro Town.
Inawashiro 字葉山, Fukushima
On Wednesday, June 10 at approximately 6:05 p.m., on a town road in Tsuboyō Aza Minamihama, Inawashiro Town, a witness (male in his teens) driving a vehicle observed one bear (about 1 m in body length) crossing the town road from east to west.
Inawashiro 大字金田, Fukushima
One bear crossed a road in a forest in Funaba, Aizumisato Town.
Aizumisato 字三日町上, Fukushima
On Wednesday, June 10 at about 11:54 a.m., a witness spotted one bear (body length unknown) crossing a road in woodland in Funaba area, Aizumisato Town. It is unknown in which direction the bear ran after that.
Aizumisato 字三日町上, Fukushima
A bear was sighted in Akedashi Gange-toge, Bandai Town.
Bandai 大字赤枝, Fukushima
A man sighted one bear in a field in Oto-machi Kaminamizunami, Aizuwakamatsu City.
Aizuwakamatsu Otomachi-Kamimiyorikashu, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 9 at approximately 12:15 PM, a witness (male, in his 60s) spotted one bear (about 1 m in body length) in a field within Kamimiyori-Nambara, Oto Town, Aizuwakamatsu City. The bear entered the forested area to the east, and its subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Otomachi-Kamimiyorikashu, Fukushima
On June 8 (Monday) at approximately 6:30 a.m., near the 94.0-kilometer post on the outbound lanes of the Ban-etsu Expressway within Nyorai-do area, Sekito, Inawashiro Town, a vehicle driver (female in her 50s) saw a bear about 1 meter in length crossing the expressway from west to east while traveling on the outbound lanes (toward Koriyama). The bear left into the forested area on the east side of the road.
Inawashiro 大字関都, Fukushima
On Sunday, June 7, at around 7:15 p.m., on the Tohoku Expressway (Ban-etsu Expressway) westbound near 112.6 km in Hatta, Kawahigashi-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a passenger car driven by a man in his 40s, while traveling in the westbound passing lane, collided with a bear (approximately 1.2 m in body length) that crossed from the right toward the left across the direction of travel. Neither the driver nor the occupants were injured. The bear died near the accident site.
Aizuwakamatsu Kawahigashimachi-Hatta, Fukushima
On Sunday, June 7, at about 6:40 p.m., a resident of an apartment complex in Kaminomura-nishi, Inawashiro Town, witnessed four bears (body lengths unknown) that had been on the premises leave the area.
Inawashiro 字上村西, Fukushima
On Sunday, June 7 at about 5:20 p.m., a witness (male) working in a field in Makizawa area, Ishiyama, Higashiyama-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, spotted one bear (about 1 meter in length) coming out of the forest to the south. The witness then scared the bear off with a bear-repellent firework he had; the bear turned its back on the witness and fled back into the forest.
Aizuwakamatsu Yugawaminami, Fukushima
On Sunday, June 7 at approximately 11:26 a.m., on the downhill lane of the Tohoku Expressway (Ban-etsu Expressway) near 107.2 km in Shimokawamae, Sarashina, Bandai Town, a passenger car driven by a man in his 60s, traveling in the first lane of the downhill direction, collided with a bear (about 50 cm in body length) that crossed from the right to the left of the travel direction. There were no injuries to the vehicle’s driver or other occupants. The bear was found dead near the accident site.
Bandai, Fukushima
We saw a bear around 1m long just before東山ダム damp
Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima
On Saturday, June 6 at about 7:20 p.m., in the mountainous area of Kyodo-yama, Tsuboyou, Inawashiro Town, on the Tsuboyou-Honmachi Prefectural Road, a witness (female in her 30s) saw two bears crossing the road from east to west (one approximately 1.5 m in length, the other about 1 m) while driving north on that road. Both bears subsequently left heading west.
Inawashiro 大字関都, Fukushima
One bear was beside National Route 49 in Hata, Kawahigashi Town, Aizuwakamatsu City.
Aizuwakamatsu Kawahigashimachi-Hatta, Fukushima
On Saturday, June 6 at around 6:30 p.m., in the Hatta area of Kawahigashi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a witness (male in his 30s) spotted one bear (approximately 1 meter in body length) at the roadside while riding a motorcycle on National Route 49. The bear's subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Kawahigashimachi-Hatta, Fukushima
On Saturday, June 6 at about 4:30 p.m., in a forested area of Gokudoyama in Tsuboyō, Inawashiro Town, a witness (female in her 60s) saw two bears in the woods east of Prefectural Route Tsuboyō-Honmachi while riding a bicycle southbound on that road. The two bears (about 1 m and about 50 cm in body length) then left the area, heading east into the forest.
Inawashiro 大字関都, Fukushima
On Saturday, June 6 at 1:45 p.m., a witness (male, in his 50s), while on duty at a private facility on the premises in Kawageta Aza Tennozaka, Inawashiro Town, spotted one bear (about 50 cm in body length) on the facility grounds. The bear then left heading south into the brush.
Inawashiro 大字八幡, Fukushima
On Friday, June 5 at approximately 1:45 PM, an elderly male witness in his 80s saw one bear (about 1 meter in body length) in the brush beside a town road in the Hayama area of Inawashiro Town. The bear then left eastward through the brush.
Inawashiro 字高塚山, Fukushima
A bear was seen in bushes beside a town road in Hayama, Inawashiro Town.
Inawashiro 字大沢, Fukushima
On Friday, June 5 at around 1:00 p.m., in a field in Makizawa, Ishiyama, Higashiyama-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a witness (male, in his 30s) spotted three bears in the field while doing farm work (one about 1 m long and two about 50 cm long). The bears fled in the direction of the forested area to the west; their subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Yugawaminami, Fukushima
On Friday, June 5 at approximately 11:30 a.m., in the Towno-nishi area of Inawashiro Town, a witness (a man in his 70s) saw one bear (about 1 meter in length) in the bushes beside a municipal road when he went outside his home. The bear subsequently left on foot toward the forested area to the north.
Inawashiro 字中道, Fukushima
Around 10:55 a.m. on Friday, June 5, on the premises of a private facility in Yano-ki-sawa, Inawashiro Town, a facility staff member (female in her 70s) spotted a bear (about 1 m in body length) in a tree on the facility grounds while working indoors. The bear later climbed down from the tree and left toward the forested area to the east.
Inawashiro 字諏訪西, Fukushima
A bear was seen walking out of a facility site in Ichimachi Oaza Tsuruga, Aizuwakamatsu City.
Aizuwakamatsu Ikkimachi-Tsuruga, Fukushima
On Friday, June 5 at approximately 12:10 a.m., in the Tsuruga area of Ikki-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a male witness driving a vehicle spotted a bear (about 1 m in body length) walking out toward an area outside the facility grounds. The bear proceeded westward; its subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Ikkimachi-Tsuruga, Fukushima
A bear was sighted in Machinishi, Inawashiro Town, Fukushima on 2026-06-05 morning.
Inawashiro 字町西, Fukushima
On Thursday, June 4 at about 7:15 a.m., on the prefectural road in Tsuboshita, Tsuboya, Inawashiro Town, a witness (female, in her 50s) saw two bears (both about 80 cm in body length) while driving. The bears then left the sighting area and went into the brush to the south.
Inawashiro 大字関都, Fukushima
On 2026-06-04, two bears were confirmed together on a prefectural road in Tsuboyanagi, Inawashiro Town.
Inawashiro 大字壺楊, Fukushima
Around 7:15 AM on June 4, a bear was sighted in Tsuboyohikoshita, Inawashiro Town.
Inawashiro 大字関都, Fukushima
On Wednesday, June 3 at approximately 7:38 PM, in the industrial park area of Kadota Town, Aizuwakamatsu City, on a municipal road, a witness (male, in his 50s) while driving a vehicle observed one bear (approximately 1 m in body length) traveling southbound on the municipal road. Its subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Mondenmachi-Kogyodanchi, Fukushima
One bear was on a city road in the Kadota Industrial Park, Aizuwakamatsu.
Aizuwakamatsu Mondenmachi-Kogyodanchi, Fukushima
On June 3 at around 6:50 a.m., in the area of Kamimura, Iideji, Kadota-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a male witness driving a vehicle observed one bear (about 1 m in body length) entering the grounds of Hiyoshi Shrine. The bear entered the shrine grounds and its subsequent movements are unknown; because there is a residential area nearby, the police are continuing to carry out public notices and patrol/warning activities.
Aizuwakamatsu Mondenmachi-Niidera, Fukushima
A bear was sighted entering the shrine grounds in Monta-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City.
Aizuwakamatsu Mondenmachi-Oyama, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 2, at approximately 7:20 p.m., in the area of Nanatsumori, Bandai, Bandai-machi, a female witness driving on a town road sighted one bear (approximately 50 cm in body length). The bear then crossed the town road from the sighting location and left into the grove of scrub trees to the south.
Bandai 大字更科, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 2 at approximately 11:05 a.m., in the Akai Yashikichi area of Minato-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a witness (male) while driving a vehicle observed one bear (about 50 cm in body length) walking through brush. After being seen, the bear entered the woodland to the west, and its subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Minatomachi-Akai, Fukushima
In Arai, Minato-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, one bear about 50 cm long was seen walking in the bushes around 9:30 AM on May 31.
Aizuwakamatsu Minatomachi-Akai, Fukushima
On Sunday, May 31 at around 9:30 a.m., in Akai, Minato-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a witness (male in his 50s) spotted one bear (about 50 cm in body length) walking through brush while doing farm work. The bear left toward the forested area to the west, and its subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Minatomachi-Akai, Fukushima
On Saturday, May 30 at around 6:20 p.m., in Sasayamahara, Minato-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a witness (male in his 70s) working in a field sighted one bear (about 80 cm in body length) walking through some brush. The bear went into the brush on the west side and its subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Minatomachi-Akai, Fukushima
Around 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, May 30, on the Inawashiro-Shiozawa main prefectural road in the Tsutsumi Higashi area of Inawashiro Town, a witness (male in his 30s) driving toward Fukushima City observed one bear (approximately 1 m in length) crossing the road from north to south. The bear then left into the grove of trees on the south side of the road.
Inawashiro 字上村前, Fukushima
At around 6:20 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, a witness (female) driving on National Route 49 in Tsuboyō, Inawashiro Town, spotted one bear (about 1 m in length) on the road. The bear left and went into the scrub forest on the west side of the highway.
Inawashiro 大字関都, Fukushima
On Friday, May 29 at approximately 9:40 a.m., on the Yagawa-Omachi prefectural road within Terayashiki, Yumoto, Higashiyama-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a witness (male, in his 60s) while driving observed one bear (about 1.5 m in body length) traveling from east to west across the road. Subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Higashiyamamachi-Yumoto, Fukushima
On Wednesday, May 27 at about 10:55 AM, on National Route 49 in Takegafukuro, Okiwasawa, Inawashiro Town, a witness (male in his 40s) traveling eastbound by vehicle on the national route observed a bear (about 1 m in body length) crossing the road from south to north.
Inawashiro 大字翁沢, Fukushima
On Monday, May 25 at approximately 8:50 p.m., in the Keizan 2-chome area of Aizuwakamatsu City, a witness (male in his 60s) saw one bear (about 1 m in body length) in the woods from his home. The bear entered the woodland, and its subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Higashiyamamachi-Ishiyama, Fukushima
On Monday, May 25, at approximately 6:40 a.m., a witness driving on a town road in Inawashiro Town, Oaza Iwazato, Aza Kaminochi, spotted one bear (approximately 50 cm in body length) in the forested area on the west side of the road. The bear then left the forest heading west.
Inawashiro 字上村西, Fukushima
Around 6:40 AM on May 25, a bear was sighted in Iwahara, Inawashiro Town, Fukushima Prefecture.
Inawashiro 字城南, Fukushima
Peak activity at 6:00 with 9 incidents
Ursus thibetanus japonicus
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In the past 30 days, 72 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 15 of them.
The latest sighting was reported 1 day ago near Inawashiro 大字金田, Fukushima.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 6:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 47 km route runs from Inawashiro to Aizuwakamatsu within Fukushima. In the past 30 days, 72 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 15 of them. The latest sighting was reported 1 day ago near Inawashiro 大字金田, Fukushima. This is an active bear corridor. Drive through with full caution, but rerouting is the safer choice.
