News Black Bear Shoryo Elementary School, Yamagata Dec 18, 2025, 07:30 AM

Description

On the morning of December 18, 2025, a single bear was repeatedly sighted in urban Sakata. Schoolchildren encountered the bear near Shoryo Elementary School at a distance of about 50 meters. There were no injuries; police, hunters' association members, and a prefectural police helicopter conducted searches and patrols.

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

Summary

In the early morning of December 18, multiple bear sightings occurred in Sakata. Around 7:30 a.m., schoolchildren and guardians near Shoryo Elementary School spotted a bear crossing the road from about 50 meters away; no injuries were reported. The city coordinated with police and the hunters' association and deployed a prefectural police helicopter to intensify searches and patrols around the city, shopping streets, and schools.

Bear Type

Black Bear

Number of Bears

1

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Thursday, December 18, 2025 at 07:30 AM

Address

Coordinates

38.931390, 139.834354

Sources