From interfering with traffic to exploring high school gyms, bears repeatedly found their way into populated areas in 2025, resulting in all sorts of stories, including people’s interesting responses. Below is a selection of unique articles unveiling bears’ antics and the actions people took in response throughout the year.
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Hokkaido police caution drivers after bear lunges onto highway, collides with car
A brown bear is seen jumping out from the left side of a road into the path of a vehicle just before they collided, in a screenshot of a video provided by Hokkaido Prefectural Police.
Police in Japan’s northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido are asking drivers to be cautious after a collision between a fast-moving bear and a car on a highway in the town of Kushiro. A passenger car driven by a woman in her 20s collided with a brown bear measuring around 1.5 meters in length on National Route 272 at about 10 p.m. on June 17. Full story.
Brown bear attacks Yezo deer on road in Hokkaido’s Shiretoko Peninsula
This capture image from a provided video shows a brown bear attacking a male Yezo deer in Rausu, Hokkaido, on July 27, 2025.
NEMURO, Hokkaido — A brown bear was filmed attacking a male Yezo deer with impressive antlers on a national road in Hokkaido’s Shiretoko Peninsula on July 27. According to Hokkaido Prefectural Police’s Nakashibetsu Police Station, the attack was witnessed around 10:20 a.m. on National Route 335 in the town of Rausu in the Shiretoko Peninsula, which has been registered as a World Natural Heritage site for 20 years. Full story.
Bear filmed hanging from netting in north Japan high school gym
This still from a video provided by a reader shows the bear hanging from netting in Tokai University Senior High School’s baseball practice facility on Oct. 29, 2025.
YAMAGATA — A bear was spotted hanging from netting in an indoor gym of a high school in this northern Japan city on Oct. 29. According to a source close to Tokai University Yamagata Senior High School, the bear wandered onto the school’s grounds and was seen hanging from netting by the guardian of a student shortly after 7 a.m. inside the baseball club’s practice facility. Full story.
Japanese government advises using plastic bottles to prevent bear attacks
This October 2024 file photo shows plastic bottles. (Mainichi/Takuya Yoshida)
TOKYO — The government suggested on Oct. 30 that children should carry empty plastic bottles to repel bears, claiming the animals hate the sound of them crumpling. The suggestion came from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Environment Ministry as part of a directive to boards of education nationwide that aims to protect children going to and from school. Full story.
Town in Japan’s Miyagi Pref. apologizes over AI image used in bear advisory
This screenshot of Onagawa’s official X account shows the now-deleted advisory posted on Nov. 26, 2025. (Image edited with text over the top to explain that it’s AI-generated.)
ONAGAWA, Miyagi — The town of Onagawa in northeast Japan’s Miyagi Prefecture has apologized after an image of a bear posted on an official social media account for a warning was declared to be AI-generated by its creator. The image was uploaded to Onagawa’s official X account as part of a post urging caution after a resident contacted officials on the morning of Nov. 26, saying, “I saw a bear and I have a photo.” Full story.
Ferocious flavor or tame taste? Sapporo restaurant serves up culled bear meat
This photo shows a huge bear in a trap in Tomamae, Hokkaido. (Courtesy of Toyoyuki Hayashi of the town’s hunters’ association)
SAPPORO — One French restaurant in this north Japan city is capitalizing on the persistently high number of bear captures in the region this year to use the meat in various dishes. The rise in seized brown bears has steadily increased since the abolition of spring culling in Hokkaido in 1990. As a result, there are initiatives to make effective use of bear meat, such as serving it in restaurants. Full story.
AloJapan.com