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This 21 km route runs from Inawashiro to Morohashi Museum of Modern Art within Fukushima. In the past 30 days, 27 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 1 of them. The latest sighting was reported 5 days ago near Inawashiro 大字千代田, Fukushima.
At this density of recent sightings, consider rescheduling or choosing a different trail until activity quiets.
1 places within 1 km of your route, passing through 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
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 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 Wednesday, June 24 at about 2:30 p.m., at 1157 Minamiorenzawayama, Hibara, Kitashiobara Village (on the road southeast of Michi-no-Eki Urabandai), a witness (age unknown, female) observed one bear (approx. 1 m in body length) crossing the national road from west to east. The subsequent whereabouts of the bear are unknown.
Kitashiobara, 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
A bear was sighted in Mitsuya, Inawashiro Town, Fukushima.
Inawashiro 字三ツ屋, 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 Friday, June 19 at approximately 6:20 AM, in the Tsuchiyuzawa mountain area of Inawashiro Town on National Route 459, a witness traveling north on Route 459 in a vehicle observed one bear (about 50 cm in body length) crossing the road from east to west. Afterwards, the bear left and went into the forested area to the west.
Inawashiro 字上川上, Fukushima
In Inawashiro Town's Tsuchiyuzawa-yama, around 06:20, one bear measuring 0.5 m was crossing Route 459.
Inawashiro 字土湯沢山, 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
Around 11:20 on 2026-06-18, one bear was sighted in Hibara, Kitashiobara Village, Fukushima Prefecture.
Kitashiobara 大字桧原, Fukushima
On Thursday, June 18, at around 11:20 a.m., near Nakatsugawa Bridge in the Nakatsugawa Gorge on the Bandai-Azuma Lake Line (major prefectural road connecting Fukushima and Azuma, commonly called Bandai-Azuma Lake Line) in Wakamiyaza Azumayama Ko, Inawashiro Town, a witness (woman in her 50s) traveling eastbound by vehicle on the main road sighted a bear (approximately 70 cm in body length) crossing the road from north to south. The bear left on foot into the mountain forest south of the road.
Kitashiobara, Fukushima
One bear (about 0.7 m long) was near the Nakatsugawa Gorge on the Bandai-Azuma Lake Line in Kitashiobara Village.
Kitashiobara, 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
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
While driving a vehicle, the witness observed one bear (body length approx. 1 m) crossing the town road from east to west and then leaving into the woods on the west side.
Inawashiro 字平次郎沢山, 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 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
While driving a vehicle, the witness observed one bear (approximately 1 m in body length) crossing the road.
Inawashiro 字平次郎沢山, Fukushima
One bear crossed a town road in Hayama, Inawashiro Town.
Inawashiro 字葉山, Fukushima
Peak activity at 11:00 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, 27 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 1 of them.
The latest sighting was reported 5 days ago near Inawashiro 大字千代田, Fukushima.
Recent sightings on this route peak around 11:00. Bears are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
This 21 km route runs from Inawashiro to Morohashi Museum of Modern Art within Fukushima. In the past 30 days, 27 bear sightings were reported within 5 km of the route. The past 7 days account for 1 of them. The latest sighting was reported 5 days ago near Inawashiro 大字千代田, Fukushima. At this density of recent sightings, consider rescheduling or choosing a different trail until activity quiets.
