News 2 Black Bears Shibara 船岡中央, Miyagi Apr 21, 2026, 03:00 PM

Description

In a residential area of Shibata Town, Miyagi Prefecture, on the morning of April 22, a woman in her 70s encountered a bear about 1 meter long in her garden; the bear fled into town after she raised her voice. The article also reports that on the 21st in Shiwa Town, Iwate Prefecture, a police officer was attacked by a bear and an adult woman's body was found nearby.

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

Summary

As bears awaken from hibernation, sightings have increased: on the morning of April 22 in Shibata Town, Miyagi, a woman in her 70s surprised a roughly one-meter bear in her garden and the animal fled. A day earlier in Iwate a police officer was attacked and a woman believed to have been mauled by a bear was found; experts warn that warming winters and bears 'learning' that towns offer food may be driving more encounters and urge caution.

Bear Type

Black Bear

Number of Bears

2

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 03:00 PM

Address

Coordinates

38.056535, 140.765836

Sources