Brown bear sightings and attack reported in Hokkaido and Akita

Multiple reports of brown bear activity and a direct attack have been recorded in northern Japan. In Kitamobetsu, Hokkaido, several sightings occurred near Nakayama Pass on September 21. Witnesses reported seeing a bear, estimated to be between 1 and 1.5 meters in length, walking outside a guardrail on National Route 230. Police have increased vigilance in the area, particularly near ongoing road construction sites, following consecutive sightings throughout September.

In a separate incident in Kitaakita, Akita Prefecture, a man from Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, was attacked by a bear while descending a mountain near the Moriyoshi Wildlife Center on the morning of September 23. The victim sustained injuries to his head, though the full extent of his condition remains unclear. The bear fled the scene following the encounter.