A record surge in bear sightings and attacks is casting a shadow over the fall season and its outdoor activities, prompting event cancellations across the country and leaving hikers increasingly anxious.
There have been 20,792 bear sightings in Japan as of Friday, according to the Environment Ministry, exceeding 20,000 for the first time in this half of the fiscal year alone since records began in 2009, according to ministry figures.
The vast majority of sightings were in the northern Tohoku region, but a handful have been reported in Tokyo and Osaka. No bears inhabit the Kyushu region and Okinawa Prefecture, and sightings in the Shikoku region are exceptionally rare.
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