Bear on the loose in Japan forces 94 schools to close

The city of Utsunomiya, about 100 kilometers north of Tokyo and home to half a million people, was shaken by its first-ever bear alert over the weekend. A roughly one-meter-long Asian black bear was first spotted near a city park, then caught on security cameras running past two young people in the city center. The animal was later seen in residential areas on Sunday and near factories early Monday. The bear has not yet been captured.

School closures and safety measures

In response, the Utsunomiya municipal government made the radical decision to suspend classes at all 94 elementary and middle schools in the city. Authorities sent out vehicles with loudspeakers to warn residents to be cautious. Citizens were advised to lock doors and windows, and if they see the bear, not to approach it but to take shelter in the nearest building. Police and local hunters are conducting a large-scale search operation to locate the animal, which has eluded capture in urban areas.

Rising bear encounters in Japan

Japan has recorded a record number of bear sightings this year—approximately 50,000. While encounters have typically been concentrated in the northeast, they are now extending toward Tokyo. Recently, hikers near Tokyo were attacked, and in neighboring Fukushima prefecture, a bear entered a company and injured employees. Bear-related deaths and injuries have reached an all-time high. Local governments are testing AI-powered security cameras to track bear movements. For Türkiye, which also faces wildlife encounters in rural and suburban areas, Japan’s situation highlights the need for human-wildlife conflict management strategies.