At around 11 p.m. on Thursday, June 12, a bear was reportedly spotted around Najio Akasaka.
(Information provided by Baketan-kun, Anzu&Kagayaki 509-go, and peke＠Nishitsu SP)
Najio Akasaka, where it was spotted, looks like this↓
The photo shows a spot called Akasaka Pass along National Route 176. We had taken several photos around here for Nishitsu quite a while ago, so we’ll explain what the area is like〜
西宮にクマが出たって聞いてどう思った？
Here it is on the map↓
The address is around Najio Higashikubo 11, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture.
There’s even a bus stop called “Akasaka Pass” here. The person who saw it was driving, so we think it was around this area.
On June 11, a bear was spotted in a place called Dojo in Kita Ward, Kobe City, which is fairly close to Nishinomiya.
If it was the same bear, it appears to have moved south into Nishinomiya City from Kita Ward, Kobe City, covering about 4.3 km in a straight line over roughly 30 hours.
Two Sighting Locations
According to the Kobe Shimbun, the sightings were like this↓
- Around 11 p.m. on the 12th → A 47-year-old woman called 110 while driving on a road in Najio Akasaka, saying, “There’s a bear walking.”
- Just after 11 p.m. on the 12th → A 60-year-old man called 119 while driving on the Chugoku Expressway outbound side near Najio Higashikubo, saying, “There’s a bear on the shoulder.”
Both locations are east of the Nishinomiya-Yamaguchi Junction, near the residential area “Najio Sakuradai.”
So far, there have been no reports of injuries. Nishinomiya Police Station reportedly patrolled the area by police car and warned nearby residents to stay alert.
Did the bear come down from here? The Chugoku Expressway is on the left.
Apparently, the bear was standing on its hind legs on the shoulder of the Chugoku Expressway.
The video shows the westward and eastward directions. It was probably spotted on the shoulder on the eastbound side.
And this is the road. The Chugoku Expressway is on the left, and the Rokko Mountains side is on the right. Since it’s along the mountainside at night, it does feel like the kind of place where one might appear.
This is the north side, the direction the bear is thought to have come from. There’s a residential area there.
By the way, about two months ago, Shachomi happened to interview someone knowledgeable about bears for another story〜
Around April, we asked Mr. Ogawa, the owner of “Hunters Kitchen 麓〜Roku〜,” which recently opened in Nishinomiya, “Are there bears in Rokko?”〜
What he said at the time was that mountains with bears have distinctive signs, such as droppings and things like that.
And apparently, so far, Rokko doesn’t have those signs.
But Sanda does.
He also said, though, “It’s not like I’ve checked every single part of Rokko 100%, so people still need to be careful.” That makes sense.
By the way, Hunters Kitchen is Hyogo Prefecture’s first new-style game meat restaurant, where deer, wild boar, and other game caught in Nishinomiya are butchered and cooked in-house.
The photo shows head chef Mr. Watashima〜
The shop’s owner, Mr. Ogawa, is actually also a hunter, so he knows a lot about that world. He’s part of the hunting association that helps protect Nishinomiya〜
Let’s Hope Bears Don’t Come to Rokko
This bear appeared right around the border between the Sanda side and the Rokko side.
And it’s an area with a mailbox, a phone booth, and a bus stop.
We really hope it doesn’t enter Rokko…
By the way, there was also a bear sighting in Jurinji Minamimachi last year↓
We didn’t hear anything at all after that, so there was a possibility it may have been a mistaken sighting, but this time… it does mean the chance of an Asian black bear appearing in the Rokko mountain range isn’t zero.
Make Noise When Entering the Mountains〜
Nishinomiya City’s Agricultural Policy Division is also urging caution.
- Bears are active from evening to early morning and may appear around settlements
- Be especially careful during the wild vegetable season from early spring to early summer, and from autumn to early winter before hibernation
- When entering the mountains, carry something that makes noise, such as a bell or radio, and keep it sounding
If you see one, contact the Nishinomiya City Agricultural Policy Division at (0798-34-8481). Updates will also be posted as needed on the city website.
Finally
If you live around Najio, Ikuno Kogen, or Sakuradai, please be careful along the mountainside at night〜 And if anyone sees one, don’t go near it; report it. Let Nishitsu know too〜
*Baketan-kun, Anzu&Kagayaki 509-go, and peke＠Nishitsu SP, thank you for the information!!
■■■Information Wanted!■■■
