2 Bears Spotted in Tree Eating Persimmons in Iwate Pref. Town

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:18 JST, November 18, 2025

IWAIZUMI, Iwate — Bears were spotted in inhabited areas in two municipalities in Iwate Prefecture on Sunday and Monday. Although no one was injured and no property was damaged, the Iwate prefectural police and other authorities are warning residents in the prefecture.

According to the Iwaizumi Police Station, a passerby reported what appeared to be two bears, believed to be a parent and cub, climbing a persimmon tree in a residential area of Iwaizumi at around 6 a.m. Monday. The bears remained in the tree for about 13 hours, eating persimmons. They descended the tree a little after 7 p.m. and headed west.

The site is about 160 meters southwest of municipal Iwaizumi Elementary School. The school urged parents to accompany their children to and from school.

A bear had been spotted in the same tree on Nov. 12.

The town has not introduced “emergency hunting with guns” — which lets municipalities authorize hunters to shoot bears in urban areas — according to the town’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries section. Even if the measure is adopted, a town official said, “firing shots is difficult in a residential town.”

The town did not use a blow dart containing an anesthetic against the bears as it cannot handle two bears at the same time.

On the evening of Sunday, two bears believed to be adults were spotted at a prefectural park in Mitake, Morioka, and the park became off limits Monday. According to the park’s management office, there have been no further bear sightings, and the park reopened Tuesday afternoon.