Bears continue to be spotted near people in Japan after the turn of the year, even though they are usually in hibernation at this time of the winter season.
A slew of sightings, mainly in the Tohoku region, includes reports of collisions with vehicles and damage to property such as the glass pane of an office window.
There were 47,038 Asian black bear sightings nationwide from April to November last year, about double the previous annual record high marked in fiscal 2023, according to the Environment Ministry.
AloJapan.com