Officials in Mie Prefecture have apologized to neighboring Shiga Prefecture after an elderly woman was attacked by a moon bear 6 km from where they released such an animal.
The 88-year-old woman from Taga suffered severe injuries including a broken right cheekbone after being attacked by a bear at around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday while praying to a Jizo statue along the prefectural road in Taga's mountains.
Jizo statues are Buddhist icons that are believed to help protect travelers, women, children and the weak. They are usually found at crossroads, and are often looked after by elderly people living in the area.