The City of Sendai has received numerous reports of black bear sightings around the farmlands and villages in Western Sendai. Miyagi prefecture’s mountains and forests are home to black bears, and you may encounter them in forests and bushes along rivers connected to the mountains in Western Sendai.

Black bears are active from Spring to Autumn. In order to avoid encounters, we are advising campers, mountain climbers, fishers, and farmers to take the following precautions when entering the mountains. If you see a black bear, please report it to ward offices, general branch offices, or the nearest police station.

To avoid encounters with bears

• Do not enter the mountains alone.
• Do not go out in the early morning or early evening. These are the times when black bears are most active.
• Wear bells or carry a radio to make noise.
• If you see bear prints or feces, leave the site.

If you encounter a bear

• If the bear does not notice you, leave the site slowly and go somewhere where the bear cannot see you.
• If the bear saw you and ran away, leave the site in the opposite direction while paying attention to your surroundings.
• If the bear saw you and is approaching, back away slowly while carefully observing the bear’s movements.

If you see a bear cub, do not approach it. There is a high chance that the mother bear is close to the cub. Leave the site immediately.

In order not to attract bears

• Do not leave garbage at camp sites, in forests, or on mountains.
• Remove fruit trees whose fruit do not harvest from your yard as soon as possible.
• Clear vegetation around residential areas that may provide hiding places for bears.

In order to reduce encounters and incidents with black bears, it is more important for each of us to take extra care. We ask for your kind understanding and cooperation.

Please refer to the following websites(Japanese only)for more information:

• A bear encounter manual(クマ類出没対応マニュアル -クマが山から下りてくる-)(External link) The Ministry of the Environment
• Miyagi prefecture’s latest bear sighting information（ツキノワグマの情報はこちら）(External link) You can also report bear sightings on the website.
• Sendai City Information on black bear sightings by e-mail. You must register to use this service.（仙台市メール配信サービス）