Two people were injured on Tuesday evening following a bear attack at a supermarket in Gunma Prefecture. One shopper was reportedly attacked inside the store, while another was assaulted in the parking lot. According to NHK, the bear was an adult, approximately 1.4 meters long, that rampaged through the fish and sushi sections. At the time, there were said to be more than 30 customers in the store. The injuries to the two men are said to be minor.
“It looked to me as if the bear was confused. It was in the store for 10 to 15 minutes,” said the supermarket manager. A store employee called the local fire department reporting that a bear had scratched a man. A call was also made to the police at around 7:30 p.m., informing them that a bear was lying on top of a customer. The bear eventually escaped.
Bear Attack in Akita
Earlier in the day, a farmer was attacked by a bear in Gojome, Akita Prefecture. He called the police at around 8 a.m., stating that the carnivoran mammal had bitten and scratched him in his yard. The man was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital. Approximately one hour after the incident occurred in the farmer’s garden, a bear was sighted in his next-door neighbor’s yard. Later that evening, a local hunter’s association captured two bears nearby.
A number of incidents involving bears have been reported in Akita this year. On September 22, an 80-year-old woman’s face was clawed by a bear as she walked alone in the city of Odate. Her injuries, though not life-threatening, were serious, including a broken nose. The following day, a man in his 60s collided with a bear while riding a bicycle in Gojome. He fell and hit his shoulder hard. Officials in Akita issued a warning about Asian black bears in the region.
Spanish Tourist Attacked in Shirakawago
On Sunday, a 40-year-old Spanish tourist was attacked by a bear in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Shirakawago. The incident occurred in the morning near a shuttle bus stop. The man, who was scratched on his right arm, managed to reach a nearby information center to ask for help. Nearby village roads and walking paths were subsequently closed. It was the first human injury caused by a bear in the village for more than a decade.
Last Friday, a woman in her 70s died after being attacked by a bear while picking mushrooms in Miyagi Prefecture. The whereabouts of another woman who was with her is still unknown. Also last Friday, the body of a 78-year-old man was discovered in the mountains of Oshika Village in Nagano Prefecture. He was found with multiple claw marks on his face and neck, believed to be caused by a bear. Like the women in Miyagi, he had gone out to pick mushrooms.
