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This 14 km route runs from Inawashiro to Bandai within Fukushima. In the past 30 days, 40 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 1 of them. The latest sighting was reported 6 days ago near Inawashiro 大字金田, Fukushima.
This is an active bear corridor. Rerouting or rescheduling your hike is strongly advised.
A bear was sighted in Tsuboyo Minamihama, Inawashiro Town, Fukushima, around 09:30 on July 6.
Inawashiro 大字金田, Fukushima
On Friday, July 3 at around 5:25 p.m., on National Route 49 within Ukiribajichi, Ogasawara, Inawashiro Town, a witness (male in his 60s) saw a bear (about 1 m in body length) crossing the road from north to south while he was driving eastbound on Route 49. The bear then left into the brush to the south.
Inawashiro 大字翁沢, Fukushima
On Thursday, July 2 at approximately 11:25 a.m., near the 98.2-kilometer post on the outbound (up) lanes of the Ban-etsu Expressway in Katada, Inawashiro Town, a driver in his 40s observed a single bear (about 1 m in length) crossing the highway from the north side to the south side (toward the center of the road) while traveling on the outbound Ban-etsu Expressway (toward Iwaki). When the witness’s vehicle approached, the bear left toward the north side of the road.
Inawashiro 大字千代田, Fukushima
A bear was sighted in the thicket of Matsunaga 5-chome, Ikki-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City.
Aizuwakamatsu Ikkimachi-Matsunaga, Fukushima
On Wednesday, July 1 at around 6:20 p.m., in Matsunaga 5-chome, Ikkimachi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a witness (male in his 40s) spotted one bear (approximately 1 m in body length) in the brush on the east side of his home while he was at home. After being seen, the bear moved deeper into the brush and its subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Ikkimachi-Matsunaga, Fukushima
A bear was sighted in Kawanohigashi-machi Hatta Onohara, Aizuwakamatsu City, around 4:00 AM on July 1.
Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima
On July 1 (Wednesday) at around 4:00 a.m., in Oohara, Hatta, Kawatō-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a witness (male, in his 60s) spotted one bear (approximately 1 m in body length) in a buckwheat field while driving. The subsequent movements of the bear are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 30 at about 2:10 p.m., on a municipal road in Miyakita, Iwane, Inawashiro Town, a witness (male in his 60s) was driving west on the road when he saw one bear (about 1.2 m in length) cross the road and walk off into rice paddies to the south.
Inawashiro 大字磐根, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 30 at approximately 12:10 p.m., in the Tsuruga Aza Funagamorihigashi area of Ikki-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a witness (male, in his 60s) observed two bears walking in the brush on the east side of a facility (one about 1 m in length, the other about 50 cm). After being seen, the bears walked south through the brush; their subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Iawasemachi, Fukushima
Two bears were sighted in Ichimachi Oaza Tsuruga Funagamori Higashi, Aizuwakamatsu City, and then went into nearby bushes.
Aizuwakamatsu Ikkimachi-Matsunaga, Fukushima
On Monday, June 29 at around 11:20 a.m., near 312-1 Maeda Ko, Chiyoda, Inawashiro Town, south of Inawashiro Town Dai-ni Elementary School, a witness (female in her 50s), while on duty on the elementary school premises, sighted one bear (body length unknown) near the south side of the school. The bear later departed to the south.
Inawashiro 大字千代田, Fukushima
It was lumbering along through the field. When it noticed us, it ran toward the road.
Inawashiro 大字千代田, Fukushima
On Sunday, June 28 at around 12:40 p.m., a 30-something male witness, while working, spotted one bear (approximately 1.5 m in length) in the forested area to the north in Haseji, Higashinagahara, Kawahigashi-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City. After being sighted, the bear went deeper into the forest and its subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Kawahigashimachi-Higashinagahara, Fukushima
Around 12:00 on 2026-06-28, a bear was sighted in Karawanagimachi-Higashinagahara-Hasechi, Aizuwakamatsu City.
Aizuwakamatsu Kawahigashimachi-Higashinagahara, Fukushima
In Matsunaga 6-chome, Ikki-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a woman saw one bear crossing a city road.
Aizuwakamatsu Ikkimachi-Matsunaga, Fukushima
In Kawahigashi-cho Hatta, Aizuwakamatsu, a passenger car collided with one bear crossing eastward on a major prefectural road. The bumper was damaged, but the driver was uninjured.
Aizuwakamatsu Kawahigashimachi-Hatta, Fukushima
A bear was sighted on Bandaisan-dō in Bandai town around 13:50 on June 25.
Bandai, Fukushima
On Wednesday, June 24 at approximately 7:40 a.m., in Aizuwakamatsu City, Ikki-machi, Oaza Yahata, Yazaki Kamiyama area, a witness (male, in his 20s) while driving a vehicle observed one bear crossing the road (about 50 cm in body length). After being seen, the bear entered the forested hills to the east, and its subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Ikkimachi-Yahata, Fukushima
In Minato, Aizuwakamatsu, one bear about 1 meter long crossed a road and then left for the forest.
Aizuwakamatsu Ikkimachi-Matsunaga, Fukushima
On Tuesday, June 23 at approximately 6:10 PM, within the Matsunaga 1-chome area of Ikki-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, a witness (male in his 20s) driving a vehicle observed one bear (about 1 meter in body length) crossing the road. The bear left heading toward the woods to the north, and its subsequent movements are unknown.
Aizuwakamatsu Ikkimachi-Matsunaga, Fukushima
A bear was sighted moving in Ichikimachi Matsunaga 1-chome, Aizuwakamatsu.
Aizuwakamatsu Ikkimachi-Matsunaga, Fukushima
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
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 large adult bear crossing the road heading uphill
Bandai, 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
While mowing the grass, the witness observed one bear (about 1 m in body length) climbing a tree.
Aizuwakamatsu Kawahigashimachi-Higashinagahara, Fukushima
Around 14:00 on 2026-06-15, a bear was sighted at Takatsukayama in Minamitakano, Kawanumachi, Aizuwakamatsu City.
Aizuwakamatsu Kawahigashimachi-Minamikoya, Fukushima
While driving a vehicle, the observer sighted one bear (approximately 1 m in body length) crossing the road.
Inawashiro 大字関都, Fukushima
While driving a vehicle, the observer sighted one bear (approximately 0.5 m in body length) crossing the road.
Inawashiro 大字磐根, Fukushima
While riding a bicycle, the observer sighted one bear (approximately 1 m in body length) walking toward them across the road.
Inawashiro 字堤東, 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
While riding in a vehicle, the observer sighted one bear (approximately 1 m in body length) crossing the road.
Inawashiro 字堤東, Fukushima
Peak activity at 18:00 with 7 incidents
Ursus thibetanus japonicus
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In the past 30 days, 40 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 1 of them.
The latest sighting was reported 6 days ago near Inawashiro 大字金田, Fukushima.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 18:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 14 km route runs from Inawashiro to Bandai within Fukushima. In the past 30 days, 40 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 1 of them. The latest sighting was reported 6 days ago near Inawashiro 大字金田, Fukushima. This is an active bear corridor. Rerouting or rescheduling your hike is strongly advised.
