Japan Bear Crisis

Utsunomiya Closes 94 Schools Amid Black Bear Sightings, Reflecting Rising Japan Wildlife Threat

Utsunomiya, about 100 kilometers north of Tokyo, closed all 94 public primary and junior high schools after a black bear roamed parts of the city for several days, with sightings reported in residential areas and even a shopping arcade. Officials warned residents to stay indoors or in vehicles, keep doors and windows secured, and not approach the animal, while police, hunters, and local authorities continued searches as it remained at large. Reporting highlights that it is unclear whether there was one bear or multiple, and that the animal was about 1 meter long, first appearing near a park and later turning up closer to schools and an industrial area. The incident reflects broader concern in Japan as bear sightings and attacks have risen in urban areas, with government figures describing more than 50,000 nationwide sightings in the year to March 2026 and hundreds of people harmed during the same period. Earlier bear cases in Fukushima, including an attack followed by escape through a window, have added to public worry. Japan’s revised wildlife management law, which allows emergency shootings of dangerous animals in populated areas under certain conditions, is cited as part of the country’s response to the growing risk.

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