Rampaging Bear Injures 4 in Akita Prefecture, Holes Up in House; Elderly Man Suffers Bite, Broken Bone

By Tomonori Asamizu and Taishun Hashidate / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

6:02 JST, October 22, 2025

YUZAWA, Akita — Four men were injured in a series of bear attacks near JR Yuzawa Station in Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture, on Monday morning, with one sustaining serious injuries.

The bear broke into a house after the attacks and remained there Tuesday morning. The Yuzawa municipal government set a trap to capture the bear, and police remained on alert around the clock.

According to Akita prefectural police, a 63-year-old male office worker was clawed on the back by a bear on a city road in the Motoshimizu district at about 5:05 a.m. Monday after stopping by a convenience store. When he turned around, the bear had already disappeared.

At about 5:40 a.m., a self-employed man, 56, was walking his dog when he was bitten on the left arm by the bear along National Highway Route 13 in the Omotemachi district, about 600 meters east of the first attack site.

About 5 minutes later, a 70-year-old part-time worker was attacked by the bear in a hotel parking lot. He was bitten on the left arm, and his collarbone was broken.

At about 6:20 a.m., a man was bitten on the right thigh by the bear in front of his house in the Omotemachi district. The man, 65, ran to a police officer who was patrolling nearby for help.

The bear broke into his house after biting him.

The Yuzawa municipal government placed a box trap baited with honey and rice bran in front of his house. Local government officials said it has been difficult to capture the bear, as it showed no sign of approaching the trap.

Police officers and hunters patrolled near his house, while the municipal government called for residents to stay inside, using a car equipped with a speaker.

The local board of education instructed four elementary and junior high schools near the site to ensure students’ safety. It urged parents to accompany their children to and from school and called on schools to refrain from outdoor classes and club activities until Wednesday.

Residents were perplexed at the appearance of a bear in the central part of the city. “We have to think about how to make sure children are safe,” said an office worker who came to a junior high school to pick up his son.

A second-year high school student on his way home said, “I didn’t imagine a bear would appear on the school route and that people would get injured.”