SHIZUOKA, May 22, 2026 (News On Japan) - A black bear was filmed walking directly toward a camera from only a few meters away at around 2 p.m. on May 21st in the parking lot of a tourist facility in Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture, as the person recording the scene could be heard saying, "Call someone. Wait a minute. This is bad, it is coming this way. We could get hurt."
The area is near a district of vacation homes, but no injuries or damage have been reported so far.
Bear sightings have also been reported in Miyagi Prefecture. On May 20th, a bear was seen near Naruko Onsen in Osaki, a hot spring resort sometimes referred to as a "kingdom of hot springs." Footage showed the bear running toward an area where a vehicle was parked.
In the same city, a woman in her 70s said a saw happened to save her life. "The bear came from the side and brought its face close to me. I happened to have a saw, so I shouted and swung it away," she said.
The woman had been gathering bamboo shoots in a wooded area behind her home on the morning of May 20th when she encountered a bear measuring about 1 meter in length. She said she waved the saw and drove the animal away.
During the encounter, however, the woman fell and suffered a serious injury, fracturing a bone in her lower back. "When I looked later, there was bear fur stuck here. It feels strange that I am still here safe like this," she said.
Damage and close encounters involving Asian black bears have been reported in several parts of Japan.
In Nishiwaga, Iwate Prefecture, a camera captured a bear appearing directly in front of hunters on May 20th. Tension spread through the scene as people shouted, "Bear! Bear! Bear! Bear!" but the animal noticed the large number of people and disappeared into the bushes.
Near that site, the body of a man with injuries to his head and body was found. Police are investigating, believing it is highly likely to be that of an 85-year-old man who had gone out to pick wild vegetables.
Bear-related incidents have also occurred in the mountains of Okutama, Tokyo. A Russian national was attacked on May 17th, and a body was found on May 19th. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the case, including the possibility that the person was attacked by a bear.
Footage obtained by the program, taken in July 2025, shows an Asian black bear walking through the mountains of Okutama.
The person at the scene was Kazuhiro Matsumura, who previously served with the Tokyo Fire Department's mountain rescue unit and now conducts rescue activities mainly in Okutama.
"I spend more than 300 days a year doing some kind of work in the mountains. That may have been the closest I have ever been to a bear. It came within about 5 meters," said Matsumura, president of ORANGE BEAR.
According to Matsumura, who checks mountain conditions on a daily basis, Okutama has long been a habitat for Asian black bears. He says it is important for people entering the mountains to "fear them correctly" in order to avoid encounters.
"You need to make it clear that you are there. If you ring a bear bell properly and take your own defensive measures, I have been going into the mountains for decades and have never had a serious accident there," Matsumura said. "This area is naturally very close to the wild, so contact with wild animals is unavoidable. I want people to understand that properly."
According to Okutama town officials, the Russian national who was attacked had been climbing alone and was not carrying a bear bell.
On May 21st, yellow tape had been placed across the mountain trail, closing it to entry.
A man who runs a bento shop in Okutama stressed that even within the same town, the mountains and the urban area should be viewed separately.
"I have heard of people being attacked by bears, but that is in the mountains. I have never heard of them coming down around the station or into residential areas," said Kazuyoshi Sato of Okutama no Daidokoro. "If people are worried, there are many precautions they can take. As long as they do that and come here to enjoy themselves, there should be no problem."
When bear sightings are reported at travel destinations, visitors need to have the correct knowledge and proper preparations before heading into the area.
Source: FNN
