News Black Bear Kuki (Kuki-cho), Owase City, Mie Feb 27, 2026, 09:30 AM

Description

Around 18:30 on February 27, a man driving along National Route 311 in Kuki, Owase City (Mie Prefecture) sighted a single Asiatic black bear (estimated about 1.2 m long). The bear appeared from the left side of the road and fled toward the mountains after noticing the driver; the city issued public warnings, posted the sighting online, and used signal fireworks and signs to warn residents.

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

Summary

On the evening of February 27 a roughly 1.2 m Asiatic black bear was seen along National Route 311 in Kuki, Owase City, about 200 m north of JR Kuki Station. The bear fled into the mountains; the city warned residents via local broadcasts and its website and deployed signal fireworks and signs. This was the 12th reported sighting in the city this fiscal year.

Bear Type

Black Bear

Number of Bears

1

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Friday, February 27, 2026 at 09:30 AM

Address

Coordinates

34.020275, 136.242651

Sources