A foreign male tourist was attacked by a bear near an observation deck overlooking Lake Towada, a popular tourist spot in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, according to information released by local authorities on Saturday (August 22).
The incident occurred at around 11 a.m. local time when the victim was standing near the observation deck in the area bordering Lake Towada. The bear suddenly emerged from a nearby forest and attacked the tourist. The man sustained injuries to his arm and leg but remained conscious and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Immediately after receiving the report, local rangers and police cordoned off the area around the observation deck to search for the bear. Later that afternoon, a bear believed to be the culprit was shot and killed in the nearby forest area, according to Aomori Prefecture authorities.
Lake Towada is one of Japan's largest caldera lakes, straddling the border between Aomori and Akita Prefectures, attracting millions of tourists each year with its natural scenery and tranquil atmosphere. This is a rare bear attack on a human in the area in recent years, although Asian black bears are known to frequent the forests around the lake.
Aomori Prefecture authorities have issued warnings to residents and tourists about the risk of encountering bears when entering mountainous forest areas, recommending against traveling alone in remote places and advising carrying noise-making devices to scare off wildlife.
