What To Do If You Encounter a Bear? Elementary School Students Learn How to Avoid Bear Attacks in Iwate, Japan

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:28 JST, July 21, 2025

ICHINOSEKI, Iwate — Children learned how to avoid being injured by bears on Thursday at Higashiyama Elementary School in Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture, amid a series of bear sightings in the vicinity of the school.

A city official explained the nature and habits of bears to 170 students and instructed them to carry bells, radios and other noisemakers in order to avoid encountering bears.

Afterwards, police officers from the local police station performed a skit, instructing the children to back away slowly and not rush when they encounter a bear.

An 11-year-old boy said: “I am worried that I might encounter a bear at any moment. I want to use what I learned to protect my life.”