Utsunomiya, Japan shuts 94 schools after black bear spotted in city

The city of Utsunomiya, about 100 km north of Tokyo, closed all 94 elementary and middle schools after a black bear about one metre tall was observed in the urban area. The animal was first seen in a park on Saturday, later caught on CCTV running in front of two boys in the city centre, and was also reported in residential neighbourhoods and an industrial zone up to two kilometres from the centre. Authorities urged residents to keep doors and windows locked, avoid approaching the bear and take shelter in the nearest building, while warning messages were broadcast on vehicles with loudspeakers. Police and a local hunting association continued the search for the bear.

Japan has recorded a record 50,000 bear sightings this year, mostly in the northeast, but sightings near Tokyo are rare. Recent incidents include a Russian climber injured by a bear in Okutama, a bear seen in Hachioji, and a bear that attacked four people in a Fukushima office. Experts say changes in food availability and rural depopulation are driving bears into towns. The black bear population on Honshu is estimated at 12,000‑42,000, with individuals up to 1.5 m long and 120 kg heavy; brown bears remain confined to Hokkaido.