Last April (2019) I was walking here in Fukushima City’s BentenYama (a wooded area) and I saw a kamoshika. I posted about it on this blog because it was so unusual to see one there.

Then I went to the U.S. to attend my niece’s wedding in May. At that time, my husband told me the news was that a bear was spotted on Bentenyama! https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=https://www.fnn.jp/posts/00073403FTV&prev=search (The original article is in Japanese, but I hit the “translate” button so English readers can understand it.)

**********************************************************************

And now, in the Aizuwakamatsu area (in Fukushima Prefecture, but west of me,) a fifteen-year-old American girl was bitten by a bear. But don’t worry! It’s a “light injury” (news reports says: karui kega) and she’ll be fine. Thank goodness! Bears DO LIVE here in Tohoku. So don’t think they don’t!!!!! Spring is supposed to be the most dangerous time. The bears have just woken from hibernation, they’re grumpy and hungry.

Here’s an article about the bear biting in Japanese:

http://www.news24.jp/nnn/news162132613.html

The following article is meant to be read in Japanese, but I hit the “translate” button and the computer translated it to English. (I did this so English readers can read it.) https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=https://www.fnn.jp/posts/2019060700000004FTV&prev=search

****************************************************************

I just searched for an English version of this news on both Google Japan and American Yahoo, and can’t find one. I’m sure there will be one soon.