Japan issues safety alerts after bear sightings in Hakodate and Hirosaki

On June 26, a 2‑metre brown bear was sighted twice within 20 minutes in the Shirohōka district of Hakodate, Hokkaido. The first report came from a driver on National Route 278, who described seeing a "black‑bear‑like thing" before the animal moved southeast. Twenty minutes later, a firefighter driving nearby reported the same bear walking near a city cemetery. Police consider the two sightings to involve the same individual and have heightened vigilance in the area.

Earlier, on June 24, a male visitor spotted a mature bear inside the Oomori Katsuyama Jōmon archaeological site in Hirosaki, Aomori. The animal was seen near a stone circle and fled after the encounter. The Hirosaki City Board of Education responded by temporarily closing the heritage site, with reopening pending an assessment of bear activity and safety conditions. Both incidents underline rising bear activity in northern Japan and the resulting safety measures for residents and visitors.