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

Description

On the morning of February 23, 2026, a bear-like animal believed to be an Asiatic black bear was sighted along riverbanks in Ashikaga City. The first sighting was at 07:13 on the riverbank 50 m upstream from Kashima Bridge in Kashima-chō, and the second at 07:30 on the riverbank 200 m upstream from Fukujuda Bridge in Iwai-chō; the sightings may be of the same individual.

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

Summary

On February 23, 2026, bear-like activity was reported along riverbanks in Ashikaga City. Sightings occurred near Kashima Bridge at 07:13 and near Fukujuda Bridge at 07:30; because the two locations are about 6 km apart and the reports were close in time, they may involve the same animal. The city has published the sighting information and on-site confirmation results.

Bear Type

Black Bear

Number of Bears

1

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Sunday, February 22, 2026 at 10:13 PM

Address

Coordinates

36.345375, 139.407214

Sources