Record bear sightings in Japan cause alarm as hibernation ends

Rested but famished bears emerging from hibernation in Japan are already coming into contact with humans, with the pace of sightings outstripping that seen in 2025, a record year for bear attacks . According to media reports, the animals have been spotted with surprising frequency in urban areas in the country’s north-east, with authorities urging caution among people planning to spend the coming Golden Week public holidays in the countryside. In 2026 there has already been one possible fatal mauling after the body of a woman was found last week in the prefecture (county) of Iwate, soon after a police officer was injured in a bear attack nearby. Bells and whistles: how our reporter prepared for visiting bear hotspot – video With winter just over, police have been called to populated areas following sightings near apartment buildings, a warehouse and a railway station. In Aomori, a prefecture on the northern tip of Japan’s main island, local authorities on 1 April issued a special warning about the presence of Asiatic black bears after five were spotted in the space of 10 days. Two north-eastern prefectures, Iwate and Fukushima, have issued similar alerts, according to the Asahi Shimbun. The sightings have raised fears of another year of anxiety among residents of north-east Japan and Hokkaido, the country’s northernmost main island. In the 12 months from April last year, Japan saw a record 238 bear attacks, including 13 deaths. …