News Black Bear Ashikaga City, Tochigi Feb 22, 2026, 10:13 PM

Description

On the morning of February 23, 2026, two sightings of a bear-like (Asian black bear) animal were reported in riverbeds in Ashikaga City. One sighting was at 07:13 near Kashima Bridge (Kashimacho) and the other at 07:30 near Fukujyu Bridge (Iwaicho); authorities noted the sightings might be the same individual but this is not confirmed.

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

Summary

On the morning of February 23, 2026, a bear-like animal was sighted twice in riverbeds in Ashikaga City. Observations near Kashima Bridge and Fukujyu Bridge occurred in the 7 a.m. hour; while the locations are about 6 km apart, it is unclear whether they were the same individual.

Bear Type

Black Bear

Number of Bears

1

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Sunday, February 22, 2026 at 10:13 PM

Address

Coordinates

36.340187, 139.449760

Sources