News 5 Black Bears Sukagawa 岩渕, Fukushima Apr 22, 2026, 04:15 AM

Description

At around 13:15 on April 22, 2026, a bear about 1.5 m long was sighted on a municipal road near Inada Gakuen (a compulsory education school) in Iwabuchi, Okaya-chi, Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture. Subsequent sightings occurred in the city: Samidare (around 20:00 on April 22, about 1.0 m), Ina (Akagishimo) (shortly after 08:00 on April 23, about 1.5 m), Hashirata (around 11:20 on April 23), and at a kindergarten site in neighboring Kagamiishi Town on April 21. No injuries or property damage have been confirmed so far.

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

Summary

Bear sightings have been frequent in Sukagawa City since around April 20; between April 21 and 23 bears were spotted at multiple locations including a kindergarten site in Kagamiishi Town, near Inada Gakuen, Samidare and Hashirata. The city and police have stepped up patrols and are warning residents via emergency broadcasts.

Bear Type

Black Bear

Number of Bears

5

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 04:15 AM

Address

Coordinates

37.262703, 140.322290

Sources