A bear wandered into a downtown underground parking lot in Morioka on Oct. 28, prompting a massive police response, while officials in Iwate and Akita prefectures are investigating two suspected bear-related deaths.

At around 7:30 a.m., a bear was reported inside the underground parking lot of the main branch of the Bank of Iwate Ltd. in Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture.

The city warned the public that "the surrounding area is extremely dangerous," as officials and police rushed to the scene.

The bank's main branch is located in the city center, near the Iwate prefectural offices. The sighting was particularly alarming, as it occurred near the Morioka Castle ruins site, a major tourist attraction. 

By around 10:30 a.m., the bear had been tranquilized and removed in a box trap. No injuries were reported.

However, that was not the end of the reported incidents.

A bear was also sighted about 2 kilometers southeast of Iwate Bank's main branch.

Around 11:55 a.m., students reported a bear on the grounds of Iwate University in the city.

Officers from the Morioka Higashi Police Station rushed to the scene and confirmed one bear, approximately one meter in length, in the vicinity of the international exchange hall on the west side of the university.

No injuries were reported. Iwate University canceled all classes scheduled for the afternoon.

The hall is used as housing for international students and researchers at Iwate University. 

These incidents came one day after a suspected fatal bear attack in Ichinoseki, also in Iwate Prefecture.

At approximately 10:40 a.m. on Oct. 27, the Ichinoseki Police Station received a report from relatives of Tomio Sato, 67, a resident of Ichinoseki, stating they had been "unable to contact him since the morning."

Officers who rushed to the scene discovered the body of a man in the garden of Sato’s home. The body bore claw and bite marks consistent with a bear attack.

According to the police station and the city, the site is in a mountainous area about 20 kilometers northwest of the city center.

The body was later identified as Sato. His pet dog was also found dead nearby.

In the afternoon, a bear appeared near the dog's remains, and the local hunters' association killed it. 

The culled bear was a male, approximately 1.5 meters long, weighing about 70 kilograms and estimated to be 4 years old.

Authorities are investigating whether it was the same bear that attacked Sato.

At around 11 a.m. on the same day in neighboring Akita Prefecture, a resident in Akita city discovered the body of a woman lying in a drainage ditch by a rice field and placed an emergency call.

According to the Akita Higashi Police Station, the victim suffered severe injuries to her upper torso, and witnesses reported seeing a bear approximately 1.5 meters long in the vicinity.

The station is investigating the woman’s identity as well as the possibility that she was attacked by a bear.

Amid the surge in bear attacks, Akita Governor Kenta Suzuki visited the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Oct. 28 and requested the assistance of the Self-Defense Forces.

The ministry is coordinating to dispatch an SDF unit to the  prefecture in the near future. The plan is not to conduct culling operations by shooting, but to provide support such as setting bear traps.

There have been more than 50 bear-related injuries and deaths in the prefecture.

“This is truly an abnormal situation," Suzuki said. "The manpower within the prefecture is no longer sufficient to respond.”

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi replied, “The SDF will make full use of their given capabilities and authority to quickly formulate countermeasures and restore safety and peace of mind.”

The details of the timing and scale of the deployment are still under consideration. The envisioned support includes setting up bear traps, conducting patrols and transporting bear carcasses culled by hunters.

In addition to the two prefectures, bear attacks have been occurring frequently across Japan this year, prompting an increased government response.

At a news conference on Oct. 28, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara announced that the Defense Ministry would be added to the interagency liaison council on bear countermeasures, and that a meeting would be held on Oct. 30.