News Black Bear Sakata 山谷, Yamagata May 4, 2026, 03:00 PM

Description

An unidentified man's body was found in a forest in Yamatani, Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture, with injuries to the head and both arms. Immediately after the discovery, one bear was sighted near the scene and was culled; police suspect the body may be that of 78-year-old Yukio Hisamatsu (reported missing after going mushroom/plant picking on the 3rd) and are investigating the identity and any link to the bear.

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

Summary

On the 5th, a man's body with injuries to the head and both arms was found in a forest in Yamatani, Sakata City. One bear was sighted at the scene and culled; police are investigating and believe the body may be that of a 78-year-old man who went out for plant picking on the 3rd, and are checking for links to the bear.

Bear Type

Black Bear

Number of Bears

1

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Monday, May 4, 2026 at 03:00 PM

Address

Coordinates

38.907756, 139.979710

Sources