News Black Bear Minamisanriku Town, Miyagi Jan 9, 2026, 02:00 PM

Description

Around 23:00 on January 9, a bear about 1.2 m long entered a storage shed at a residence in Minamisanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture, shoved its head into a blue bucket containing household garbage and ransacked the shed, staying for about three minutes. It showed little reaction to a motion-sensor light or loud banging on a window and appeared accustomed to people.

Note: Official sources provide information in Japanese only. This description has been machine translated for your convenience.

Summary

A bear presumed to be active during winter entered a storage shed at a residence in Minamisanriku on the night of January 9, rummaged through a bucket of household garbage and stayed about three minutes, showing little fear of lights or loud noises. Similar sightings have been reported nearby, and experts suggest young bears that never learned proper hibernation — possibly after parent bears were removed — may be venturing into populated areas.

Bear Type

Black Bear

Number of Bears

1

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Friday, January 9, 2026 at 02:00 PM

Address

Coordinates

38.680891, 141.462585

Sources