KYOTO - A parent bear and two cubs were spotted near an interchange in Kyoto Prefecture, just a few minutes' drive from a nursery school, in one of many bear sightings reported across Japan in recent days.
The bears were seen shortly after 11 a.m. on June 13 near an interchange in Kyotango. Video captured by a passing driver showed a large bear crossing a road while two cubs remained nearby on the roadside. The person who filmed the animals noted that a nursery school was located only a short distance away, raising concerns about the potential risk to local residents.
Police and city officials searched the surrounding area after the sighting but were unable to locate the bears. Authorities have urged residents to remain alert.
In Fukushima Prefecture, bears were spotted on two consecutive days near Lake Hibara. Anglers fishing from boats reported seeing a bear climb a tree along the lakeshore on June 13. The following day, a bear believed to be the same animal, although not confirmed, was seen swimming across the lake toward the opposite shore.
One witness said the animal came within less than 10 meters of a boat. "I was very scared because I thought it might come toward us," the person said.
In Yurihonjo, Akita Prefecture, security camera footage captured a bear walking through a residential neighborhood in the early morning of June 9. The animal was first recorded at 6:01 a.m., and another camera captured what appeared to be the same bear heading in the same direction just 18 minutes later.
The sighting coincided with an incident elsewhere in the city in which a woman in her 80s was injured after unexpectedly encountering a bear at her front door. Startled by the animal, she fell and suffered injuries.
As bear sightings continue to increase, local governments are expanding countermeasures. In Iwanuma, Miyagi Prefecture, a recreational facility installed a box trap after bear droppings were discovered near its tennis courts.
In Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, safety measures have been introduced for high school students after repeated concerns about bears in the area. A local bus route used by students has been extended onto the school grounds, eliminating a roughly 500-meter walk from the nearest bus stop.
"You never know when a bear might appear, and my parents were even more worried than I was. It was really frightening," one student said.
The growing number of bear sightings across Japan is increasingly affecting daily life, prompting authorities and residents to take additional precautions as encounters spread beyond mountain areas and into residential communities.
Source: FNN
