Japan: Utsunomiya City Schools Close After Over 40 Bear Sightings

Utsunomiya City in Japan's Tochigi Prefecture has closed all 94 of its municipal elementary and junior high schools due to a surge in bear sightings. The city reported over 40 bear encounters starting June 6, prompting the temporary closure on June 8 as a safety measure for students.

Incidents have occurred across the city, with a bear spotted in a mountain forest in Nagaoka Town early on June 6. Later that day and into the early morning of June 7, bears were seen near the Tochi Bank's Yōnan branch, west of the central wholesale market in Narase Town, and near Yōnan 1-chome.

The Utsunomiya City Board of Education decided on the school closures to ensure student safety. City officials, prefectural police, and the local hunters' association are continuing their efforts to locate and manage the bears. No human casualties have been reported in connection with these sightings.