Tsumagoi~Sakata 드라이브 루트

Discovered signs/traces of footprints

Nagaoka, Niigata

There were bear tracks (footprints) in a rice field about 200 meters toward the mountain from the Sawashimojo district office.

Nagaoka, Niigata

Tsumagoi, Gunma

Environment: Farmland / Size: Adult

Sakata 坂野辺新田, Yamagata

Tsumagoi Omae, Gunma

While traveling on Prefectural Route 187, sighted one bear entering the brush on the north side.

Myoko, Niigata

Around 6:10 PM on 2026-07-13, one bear was sighted in Sakanoheniida Chizuguyama, Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture.

Sakata 坂野辺新田, Yamagata

Environment: Near homes / Size: Unknown

Sakata 浜中, Yamagata

Size: juvenile

Suzaka, Nagano

One bear about 100 centimeters in body length was sighted approximately 200 meters east of Joetsu Gochi Nursing Home.

Joetsu, Niigata

A nearby resident sighted one bear. It entered the grassy area to the west.

Joetsu, Niigata

One bear about 1 meter long was sighted in a residential lot in Gochi 6-chome, Joetsu City, Niigata, and left heading west.

Joetsu, Niigata

Around 4:30 a.m. on July 11, a bear about 1 meter long was spotted on the premises of a private residence in Gochi 6, Joetsu City.

Joetsu, Niigata

Around 13:15 on 2026-07-10, a bear was sighted in Oshikiri Shinden, Mikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture.

Mikawa 大字押切新田, Yamagata

While heading north on former Route 7, I spotted an animal that appeared to be a bear cub on the riverbed. (Around 13:30) / Environment: riverbed / Size: juvenile

Mikawa 大字押切新田, Yamagata

Tsumagoi Ozasa, Gunma

Environment: Near homes / Size: Unknown

Sakata 新町, Yamagata

Size: mother and cub

Ueda Sanadamachi-Osa, Nagano

Size: Adult

Ueda, Nagano

One bear was sighted in Oshikiri-shinden, Mikawa Town, as it tried to go up from the riverbed to the embankment.

Mikawa 大字押切新田, Yamagata

Attempted to climb up the levee from the riverbed, was startled by a car and returned to the riverbed. (Sighted around 16:32) / Environment: Roadway / Size: Unknown

Mikawa 大字押切新田, Yamagata

There were footprints in the rice field. Sightings were also reported nearby on 7/7 and 7/8. The estimated date and time are unknown.

Murakami, Niigata

One bear (body length 1.0 m) was sighted near the old Aburato Tunnel (seaside exit). Its subsequent whereabouts are unknown. / Environment: Road / Size: Adult

Tsuruoka 油戸, Yamagata

At around 10:50 on July 9, one bear was seen moving in Hakoa, Shibata City, Niigata.

Shibata, Niigata

While operating the bus eastbound, a single bear was observed darting out from the south.

Myoko, Niigata

While driving on Prefectural Road 73 toward Yasuda, the witness spotted one bear in the bushes on the right-hand side. The bear immediately retreated back into the brush and fled.

Kashiwazaki, Niigata

Atsumi government office: One bear (body length unknown) was sighted in the Nezugaseki area. / Environment: Around residences / Size: Unknown

Tsuruoka, Yamagata

Atsumi government office area: One juvenile bear (approximately 0.7 m in body length) was sighted along the river near the Nezugaseki River Bridge. / Environment: Around residential area / Size: Juvenile

Tsuruoka, Yamagata

Around 6 a.m., one cub about 70 cm long was sighted in Nezugaseki, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture.

Tsuruoka 鼠ケ関, Yamagata

Moved from the settlement to the forested mountains (south side).

Murakami, Niigata

One bear (body length unknown) was sighted about 300 m east of Abura-to Community Center, near Nakata Bridge. Subsequent whereabouts unknown. / Environment: Road / Size: Adult

Tsuruoka 油戸, Yamagata

Around 08:50 on 2026-07-08, an animal believed to be a bear was sighted in Komabayashi, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture.

Joetsu, Niigata

One animal believed to be a bear, about 100 centimeters in body length, was sighted 400 meters north of the Ken-Do Joetsu-Yasuzuka-Uragawara Line.

Joetsu, Niigata

Observed moving to the west. / Environment: farmland / Size: unknown

Mikawa 大字神花, Yamagata

On 2026-07-08 around 19:30, one bear was seen moving in Nashioki, Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture.

Murakami, Niigata

Around 8:00 on 2026-07-08, one bear of unknown body length was sighted in a field in Kamihana, Mikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture.

Mikawa 大字神花, Yamagata

A passerby spotted one bear, about 1 meter long, on National Route 292 in the Jitto area of Myoko City.

Myoko, Niigata

There was a black object that appeared to be a bear; after checking a video on a smartphone, the person reported it. / Environment: Near residential area / Size: Unknown

Tsuruoka 日枝, Yamagata

A juvenile bear was sighted about 300 m past the Mitoe/Mitse (Mise) interchange exit. Its subsequent whereabouts are unknown. / Environment: roadway / Size: juvenile

Tsuruoka 三瀬, Yamagata

Atsumi government office: A single bear (approx. 1 m in body length) was sighted within the Yu-Atsumi area. / Environment: Around residences / Size: Adult

Tsuruoka 湯温海, Yamagata

Atsumi government office: One bear (approximately 1 m body length) was sighted within the Yu-Atsumi area. / Environment: Around houses / Size: Adult

Tsuruoka 湯温海, Yamagata

One bear approximately 80 centimeters in body length was sighted 200 meters east of the former Marine Fishing Center.

Joetsu, Niigata

A bear about 0.8 meters long was sighted in Mushu Iwato, Joetsu City.

Joetsu, Niigata

A bear about 1 meter long collided with a moving passenger car on a road in Sakuramachi, Murakami City. The female driver was not injured, but part of the vehicle was damaged.

Murakami, Niigata

A vehicle traveling on National Route 113 from the Yamagata direction collided with a bear about 1.0 m in body length, and the bear ran off toward the Green Park Arakawa General Sports Park.

Murakami, Niigata

A single bear about 1.0 m in body length was roaming through the rice field.

Murakami, Niigata

One bear was spotted roaming in a rice paddy in the Sasaki area of Murakami City, Niigata.

Murakami, Niigata

One bear was sighted in Yutōnami, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture.

Tsuruoka 湯温海, Yamagata

One bear was sighted at Koganebarahara Park in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata.

Tsuruoka 日枝, Yamagata

Size: Adult

Takayama Takai, Nagano

Around 6:30 PM on July 6, a bear was sighted in Kashiwabara, Shinano Town, Nagano Prefecture.

Shinano, Nagano

While driving on the municipal Kitazawa Road, witnessed one bear crossing the road westward.

Myoko, Niigata

Atsumi government office: A vehicle on National Route 7 collided with one bear (body length 0.8 m). The bear subsequently fled into the mountains. / Environment: Road / Size: Adult

Tsuruoka 大岩川, Yamagata

Spotted one bear near a residence. It was moving from beside the Nakago General Gymnasium toward the railway tracks.

Joetsu, Niigata

A bear was sighted in Akakura, Myoko City.

Myoko, Niigata

Atsumi Government Office area: One observer sighted a young bear (body length unknown) on the railroad tracks within the Koiwagawa vicinity. / Environment: On the railroad tracks / Size: Juvenile

Tsuruoka 小岩川, Yamagata

While traveling on Prefectural Route Myoko Kogen Park Line, a single bear was sighted crossing the road from north to south.

Myoko, Niigata

Atsumi government office: A person observed one bear (body length unknown) within the Yuu-Atsumi area. / Environment: riverside / Size: unknown

Tsuruoka 湯温海, Yamagata

One bear was sighted crossing the municipal Sakaizawa-Omine road from south to north.

Myoko, Niigata

One bear was observed crossing National Route 18 from east to west.

Myoko, Niigata

Size: Adult

Takayama Takai, Nagano

Size: adult

Takayama Takai, Nagano

Environment: Farmland / Size: Unknown

Sakata 関, Yamagata

A single bear (approximately 1.0 m in body length) was sighted near the Kogata Purification Center. It moved south from the seaside and was later not found. / Environment: Road / Size: Adult

Tsuruoka 堅苔沢, Yamagata

One bear about 1 meter long was sighted in Konokozawa, Tsuruoka City.

Tsuruoka 堅苔沢, Yamagata

Crossed from the east side to the west side.

Murakami, Niigata

A bear about 1 meter long was sighted on a highway in Shimoaikawa, Murakami City, Niigata.

Murakami, Niigata

A single bear about 100 centimeters long was sighted at a point approximately 200 meters northeast of the Komabayashi neighborhood hall within the Oaza Komabayashi area.

Joetsu, Niigata

One bear was sighted in Toyono, Toyono-machi, Nagano City.

Nagano Toyonomachi-Toyono, Nagano

One bear about 100 centimeters in body length was sighted in the home center parking lot in the area of Ooaza Nishitanaka.

Joetsu, Niigata

A bear was sighted in a home center parking lot in Nishitakanaka, Joetsu City.

Joetsu, Niigata

Size: Adult

Shinano Nojiri, Nagano

Size: adult (fully grown)

Nagano Toyonomachi-Toyono, Nagano

One bear (approx. 1.0 m in body length) was sighted about 300 m east of Abura-do Community Center, near Nakata Bridge. It moved south and was later not found. / Environment: Road / Size: Adult

Tsuruoka 油戸, Yamagata

While walking along the municipal road Futamata-Akakura Onsen Line, near the underpass box of the Joshin-etsu Expressway, I witnessed one bear crossing the road from south to north.

Myoko, Niigata

One cub was sighted in Koiwagawa, Tsuruoka City, coming down from the mountain to National Route 7 and then returning to the mountain when a witness called out.

Tsuruoka 小岩川, Yamagata

Atsumi government office building area: Witnessed one cub (body length unknown) that came down from the mountain onto National Route 7. When the witness called out, the cub returned to the mountain. / Environment: Near houses / Size: Juvenile

Tsuruoka 小岩川, Yamagata

A cub was sighted crossing a railway line from the mountain side to the sea side in Hayata, Tsuruoka City.

Tsuruoka 早田, Yamagata

Ainsai government office area: Observed a cub (about 0.5 m body length) crossing the tracks from the mountainside to the seaside in the Hayata area. / Environment: Around houses / Size: Juvenile

Tsuruoka 早田, Yamagata

Size: adult

Nagano Wakatsuki-Nishijo, Nagano

Tsumagoi Tashiro, Gunma

A witness observed one cub moving from the seaside toward the mountains. / Environment: Road / Size: Juvenile

Tsuruoka 小岩川, Yamagata

While traveling on Prefectural Route Kamimasuda–Yoshikawa, I sighted one bear. It ran off to the south.

Joetsu, Niigata

Size: Adult

Takayama Takai, Nagano

Atsumi government office: One bear (body length unknown) sighted in the Yu-Atsumi area. / Environment: Near houses / Size: Unknown

Tsuruoka 温海, Yamagata

Atsumi government office area: One bear (body length unknown) sighted within the Yunokami area. / Environment: Near residences / Size: Unknown

Tsuruoka 温海, Yamagata

A bear about 1 meter long was sighted at the Tsuruoka City Atsumi Forestry Association parking lot in Oiwagawa, Tsuruoka City.

Tsuruoka 大岩川, Yamagata

Atsumi government office: One bear (approximately 1 m in body length) sighted in the parking lot of the Tsuruoka City Atsumi Forest Cooperative. / Environment: business/office parking lot / Size: adult

Tsuruoka 大岩川, Yamagata

A single bear (body length 1.0 m) was sighted at a farming work hut in Nakayama area. It appeared to be eating rice. It moved away from the sighting location afterward. / Environment: Around homes / Size: Adult

Tsuruoka 矢引, Yamagata

A bear entered a farm work shed in Nakayama, Tsuruoka City, and damaged rice stored in paper bags.

Tsuruoka 中山, Yamagata

A bear was sighted at a farm work shed in Nakayama, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata, eating rice stored in the shed.

Tsuruoka 中山, Yamagata

One bear was sighted about 100 meters northwest of the campsite in the Oaza Gochi Kokubu area.

Joetsu, Niigata

Size: cub (juvenile)

Takayama, Nagano

One bear was sighted in Gochikokubu, Joetsu City.

Joetsu, Niigata

One bear (approximately 80 cm) was sighted entering the southwest mountain near the baseball field of Tsuruoka National College of Technology. Its subsequent whereabouts are unknown. / Environment: forest / Size: juvenile

Tsuruoka 井岡, Yamagata

At around 15:58 on June 26, a bear was sighted in Ioka, Tsuruoka City.

Tsuruoka 井岡, Yamagata

Tsumagoi, Gunma

Size: Adult

Iiyama Hachisu, Nagano

Around 14:00 on 2026-06-26, a bear was sighted in Hasu, Iiyama City, Nagano Prefecture.

Iiyama Hachisu, Nagano

Size: Adult

Takayama Takai, Nagano

Size: adult animal

Iiyama Hachisu, Nagano

Atsumi Government Office: A single cub (approximately 0.8 m in body length) was sighted near the Atsumi government office / Environment: Near houses / Size: Juvenile

Tsuruoka 温海, Yamagata

A cub was sighted within the Nakayama area and ran off to the north. / Environment: near houses / Size: juvenile

Tsuruoka 中山, Yamagata

While driving on Prefectural Route Suginosawa-Futamata, a single bear was observed moving across the road from the west side to the east side.

Myoko, Niigata

Around 08:00 on 2026-06-25, a bear was sighted in Kamikura, Suzaka City, Nagano Prefecture.

Suzaka Kamegura, Nagano

Around 10:00 on 2026-06-25, a bear was sighted in Toyono-machi Toyono, Nagano City.

Nagano Toyonomachi-Toyono, Nagano

Size: cub (juvenile)

Suzaka Tochigura, Nagano

Size: Adult (fully grown)

Nagano Yoshi, Nagano

Environment: Road / Size: Juvenile

Tsuruoka 温海, Yamagata

Size: Juvenile

Ueda, Nagano

Size: juvenile

Ueda, Nagano

Around 17:35 on 2026-06-23, a bear was sighted in Akashio, Iizuna Town, Nagano Prefecture.

Iizuna Akashio, Nagano

Tsumagoi, Gunma

Tsumagoi Mihara, Gunma

One bear (1 m) entered the bushes on the south side of Kamo Community Center. / Environment: near houses / Size: adult

Tsuruoka 加茂, Yamagata

Size: Adult

Iizuna Akashio, Nagano

Size: juvenile

Ueda Sugadairakogen, Nagano

Size: adult

Ueda, Nagano

Size: juvenile

Ueda, Nagano

Size: adult

Ueda, Nagano

Discovered bear tracks while doing farm work.

Nagaoka, Niigata

While driving on Prefectural Route Suginosawa-Futamata Line, (a witness) observed one bear crossing the road from east to west.

Myoko, Niigata

Discovered bear tracks while on the way to cultivate the field

Nagaoka, Niigata

Tsumagoi Mihara, Gunma

Tsumagoi, Gunma

Tsumagoi Tashiro, Gunma

A bear was sighted in Oaza Kehashizaka, Myoko.

Myoko, Niigata

While driving on Prefectural Route Suginosawa-Futamata, I witnessed one bear entering the forest on the east side of the road.

Myoko, Niigata

Around 5:00 on 2026-06-20, a bear was sighted in Sakamachi, Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture.

Murakami, Niigata

A bear was sighted on a road in Keishizaka, Myoko City.

Myoko, Niigata

At around 14:00, one bear (approximately 1.5 m in body length) was sighted on the road about 400 m southeast of Yutagawa Community Center. It moved westward and its subsequent whereabouts are unknown. / Environment: near houses / Size: adult

Tsuruoka 藤沢, Yamagata

One bear was sighted in Nakago-ku Fujisawa, Joetsu City, Niigata.

Joetsu, Niigata

Spotted one bear while driving to the fields. It moved northwest.

Joetsu, Niigata

A bear about 1 meter long was sighted in the Shukuda area of Murakami City.

Murakami, Niigata

One bear, estimated at about 1.5 meters long, was sighted in Fujisawa, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture.

Tsuruoka 藤沢, Yamagata

About 1 m in body length. Possibly the same bear that was sighted in the Tenjindo neighborhood association in the evening. / Environment: Around human residences / Size: Adult

Mikawa 大字押切新田, Yamagata

Environment: riverbank / Size: adult (fully grown)

Mikawa 大字神花, Yamagata

Environment: Farmland / Size: Adult

Mikawa 大字猪子, Yamagata

One bear, about 1 meter long, was sighted in Iwashinden, Tsuruoka City, and crossed the Nipponkai Tohoku Expressway.

Tsuruoka 茨新田, Yamagata

Around 16:15, while driving on the Nihonkai-Tohoku Expressway from Sakata toward Tsuruoka, one bear (approximately 1.0 m in body length) was observed crossing from west to east. Subsequent whereabouts unknown. / Environment: Road / Size: Adult

Tsuruoka 茨新田, Yamagata

While traveling on National Route 292, witnessed a bear about 1 m in length crossing from east to west.

Myoko, Niigata