News Brown Bear Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway (about 3 km before the Shirotaki Tunnel), Hokkaido Mar 20, 2026, 05:00 AM

Description

Around 13:00 on March 20, a driver spotted a bear about 1.3 meters long at the roadside on the Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway in Engaru. A passenger quickly photographed it with a phone on the dashboard; there was also a sighting nearby on the 19th and police are urging caution.

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

Summary

On the afternoon of March 20, a roughly 1.3-meter bear was seen at the roadside on the Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway in Engaru, and a passenger quickly photographed it. Police are warning residents to be cautious as bears are emerging from hibernation.

Bear Type

Brown Bear

Number of Bears

1

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Friday, March 20, 2026 at 05:00 AM

Address

Coordinates

43.940897, 143.262676

Sources