Rising bear sightings in Japan

Rising bear sightings in Japan

A white-chested bear runs on a riverbank in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Oct. 23, 2025, amid rising bear encounters in Japan.

Rising bear sightings in Japan

Rising bear sightings in Japan

Photo taken on Oct. 20, 2025, shows a bear in central Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, amid a surge of bear encounters in residential areas of Japan.

Rising bear sightings in Japan

Rising bear sightings in Japan

Photo taken on Oct. 23, 2025, shows a bear in central Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, amid a surge of bear encounters in residential areas of Japan.

Rising bear sightings in Japan

Rising bear sightings in Japan

Photo taken on Oct. 23, 2025, shows a bear in central Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, amid a surge of bear encounters in residential areas of Japan.

Japanese startup for art by people with disabilities

Japanese startup for art by people with disabilities

Fumito Matsuda (2nd from R), co-CEO of Heralbony Co., a Japanese start-up commercializing artwork by people with disabilities, and his elderly brother Shota (4th from R) pose for a photo on June 25, 2025, during their visit to meet Iwate Gov. Takuya Tasso (C) at the Iwate prefectural government office in Morioka in the northeastern Japan prefecture. The brothers visited the office to tell the governor that the company won the Gold prize in the "Glass: The Lion for Change" category of the Cannes Lions Awards.

Japanese startup for art by people with disabilities

Japanese startup for art by people with disabilities

Fumito Matsuda (L), co-CEO of Heralbony Co., a Japanese start-up commercializing artwork by people with disabilities, and his elderly brother Shota pose for a photo on June 25, 2025, during their visit to the Iwate prefectural government office in Morioka in the northeastern Japan prefecture. The two visited the office to tell Iwate Gov. Takuya Tasso that the company won the Gold prize in the "Glass: The Lion for Change" category of the Cannes Lions Awards.

Japanese startup for art by people with disabilities

Japanese startup for art by people with disabilities

Fumito Matsuda (L), co-CEO of Heralbony Co., a Japanese start-up commercializing artwork by people with disabilities, and his elderly brother Shota pose for a photo on June 25, 2025, during their visit to the Iwate prefectural government office in Morioka in the northeastern Japan prefecture. The two visited the office to tell Iwate Gov. Takuya Tasso that the company won the Gold prize in the "Glass: The Lion for Change" category of the Cannes Lions Awards.

Japanese startup for art by people with disabilities

Japanese startup for art by people with disabilities

Fumito Matsuda, co-CEO of Heralbony Co., poses for a photo with artwork created by the disabled in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Jan. 24, 2023. Matsuda established the company to commercialize such works in 2018 with his twin brother Takaya, aiming to support artists with disabilities through business.

Japanese startup for art by people with disabilities

Japanese startup for art by people with disabilities

Fumito Matsuda, co-CEO of Heralbony Co., poses for a photo with artwork created by the disabled in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Jan. 24, 2023. Matsuda established the company to commercialize such works in 2018 with his twin brother Takaya, aiming to support artists with disabilities through business.

[Breaking News]Bear shows up in urban area

MORIOKA, Japan, Oct. 23 Kyodo - A bear is pictured on a riverbank in the city center of Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Oct. 23, 2025. (Kyodo)

Bear shows up in urban area

Bear shows up in urban area

A bear heads to a residential area from a riverbank in the city center of Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Oct. 23, 2025.

Bear shows up in urban area

Bear shows up in urban area

A bear is pictured on a riverbank in the city center of Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Oct. 23, 2025.

Japan: Bear Incidents Spike in Northern Regions Ahead of Hibernation Season

A wild bear was spotted running on the sidewalk in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture on Thursday, October 16. Bear incidents have been increasing in northern Japan. Between April 2025 and March 2026, seven people were killed, marking the highest number of fatalities since records began in 2006. Bears become more active in the autumn before hibernation, so the Ministry of the Environment is urging people to exercise caution.

[Breaking News]Traditional dance parade in northeastern Japan

MORIOKA, Japan, Aug. 1 Kyodo - Performers march through the streets during the Morioka Sansa dance festival in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Aug. 1, 2025. (Kyodo)

Traditional dance parade in northeastern Japan

Traditional dance parade in northeastern Japan

Performers march through the streets during the Morioka Sansa dance festival in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Aug. 1, 2025.

Traditional dance parade in northeastern Japan

Traditional dance parade in northeastern Japan

Performers march through the streets during the Morioka Sansa dance festival in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Aug. 1, 2025.

Traditional dance parade in northeastern Japan

Traditional dance parade in northeastern Japan

Performers march through the streets during the Morioka Sansa dance festival in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Aug. 1, 2025.

Traditional dance parade in northeastern Japan

Traditional dance parade in northeastern Japan

Performers march through the streets during the Morioka Sansa dance festival in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Aug. 1, 2025.

Traditional dance parade in northeastern Japan

Traditional dance parade in northeastern Japan

Performers march through the streets during the Morioka Sansa dance festival in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Aug. 1, 2025.

Traditional dance parade in northeastern Japan

Traditional dance parade in northeastern Japan

Performers march through the streets during the Morioka Sansa dance festival in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Aug. 1, 2025.

Bear shows up in urban city in Japan

Bear shows up in urban city in Japan

A bear climbs a tree on the premises of a temple in a residential area in Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on April 2, 2025.

Bear shows up in urban city in Japan

Bear shows up in urban city in Japan

A bear climbs a tree on the premises of a temple in a residential area in Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on April 2, 2025.

Japan Crown Princess Kiko

Japan Crown Princess Kiko

Japan's Crown Princess Kiko delivers a speech at an anti-tuberculosis event on Feb. 5, 2025, in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan.

Japan Crown Princess Kiko

Japan Crown Princess Kiko

Japan's Crown Princess Kiko delivers a speech at an anti-tuberculosis event on Feb. 5, 2025, in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan.

Japan-bound tourism promotion event in New York

Japan-bound tourism promotion event in New York

Waitresses serve a small portion of soba noodles into contestants' bowls during an all-you-can-eat soba-eating contest at Japan Village in New York on Aug. 31, 2024. The contest was part of a Japan tourism promotion event, with Morioka in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Iwate, home of the popular "wanko soba" noodles, and Yamaguchi in western Japan, taking part. Morioka was listed second on the New York Times' list of "52 Places to Go in 2023" and Yamaguchi third on the list of "52 Places to Go in 2024."

Tohoku Kizuna Festival in Sendai

Tohoku Kizuna Festival in Sendai

Performers of Iwate Prefecture's the Morioka Sansa dance festival troupe fill a street of downtown Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture during the Tohoku Kizuna Festival on June 9, 2024. The event features parades involving six northeastern Japan prefectures, with the aim of revitalizing the region following the 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster.

Japan: Dust Devil Sweeps Across Schoolyard During Sports Festival

A dust devil popped up and swept across a schoolyard in Morioka, northeast Japan on Saturday, May 25 surprising many students and parents who had gathered for a sports festival.

CORRECTED: Baseball superstar Ohtani reveals marriage

CORRECTED: Baseball superstar Ohtani reveals marriage

A man reads a copy of an extra edition of the Iwate Nippo daily newspaper in Morioka, capital of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani's home prefecture of Iwate, on Feb. 29, 2024, after he announced his marriage to a Japanese woman.

Ice fishing in Japan

Ice fishing in Japan

Ice fishing tents are seen on the frozen surface of Lake Gando in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, in the early morning of Jan. 31, 2024, as the fishing season for wakasagi, or Japanese smelt, opened on the lake the same day.

Ice fishing in Japan

Ice fishing in Japan

Ice fishing tents are seen on the frozen surface of Lake Gando in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, in the early morning of Jan. 31, 2024, as the fishing season for wakasagi, or Japanese smelt, opened on the lake the same day.

JR East sightseeing train Hinabi debuts in northeastern Japan

JR East sightseeing train Hinabi debuts in northeastern Japan

A ceremony marking the debut of East Japan Railway Co. sightseeing train Hinabi is held at JR Morioka Station in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Dec. 23, 2023. The two-car train with a total of 59 seats will initially run between Morioka and Kamaishi, also in Iwate Prefecture, mainly on weekends, with service planned to extend into the neighboring Aomori Prefecture in the future.

JR East sightseeing train Hinabi debuts in northeastern Japan

JR East sightseeing train Hinabi debuts in northeastern Japan

A ceremony marking the debut of East Japan Railway Co. sightseeing train Hinabi is held at JR Morioka Station in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Dec. 23, 2023. The two-car train with a total of 59 seats will initially run between Morioka and Kamaishi, also in Iwate Prefecture, mainly on weekends, with service planned to extend into the neighboring Aomori Prefecture in the future.

Extra edition of newspaper on Ohtani

Extra edition of newspaper on Ohtani

A man takes a copy of Iwate Nippo newspaper's extra edition in front of JR Morioka Station in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Japan, on Dec. 10, 2023, after Shohei Ohtani agreed to a record $700 million, 10-year contract with Los Angeles Dodgers. The newspaper is circulated in the prefecture where Ohtani hails from.

Baseball: Japan reacts to Ohtani's AL MVP

Baseball: Japan reacts to Ohtani's AL MVP

A woman reads a special edition of a local newspaper in front of JR Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Nov. 17, 2023, reporting that hometown hero Shohei Ohtani was named the winner of the American League MVP award.

New sightseeing train in northeastern Japan

New sightseeing train in northeastern Japan

Photo shows the interior of East Japan Railway Co.'s new sightseeing train Hinabi, unveiled to the media at JR Morioka Station in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Oct. 11, 2023. It will make its debut as a special train on Dec. 23, with specific routes and schedules for its later services to be announced in the near future.

New sightseeing train in northeastern Japan

New sightseeing train in northeastern Japan

East Japan Railway Co.'s new sightseeing train Hinabi is unveiled to the media at JR Morioka Station in Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Oct. 11, 2023. It will make its debut as a special train on Dec. 23, with specific routes and schedules for its later services to be announced in the near future.

Bighorn sheep in northeastern Japan zoo

Bighorn sheep in northeastern Japan zoo

Photo taken June 2, 2023, shows bighorn sheep at Morioka Zoo in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan.

Bighorn sheep in northeastern Japan zoo

Bighorn sheep in northeastern Japan zoo

Photo taken June 2, 2023, shows bighorn sheep at Morioka Zoo in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan.

Overweight elephant in Japan zoo

Overweight elephant in Japan zoo

Photo taken on June 2, 2023, shows overweight female African elephant Mao at Morioka Zoo in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan. Mao, who has been put on a weight-loss plan, weighs about 3,800 kilograms.

Overweight elephant in Japan zoo

Overweight elephant in Japan zoo

Photo taken on June 1, 2023, shows overweight female African elephant Mao getting ready to play with tree limbs at Morioka Zoo in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan. Mao, who has been put on a weight-loss plan, weighs about 3,800 kilograms.

Japanese serow

Japanese serow

Undated file photo shows a Japanese serow at a zoo in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan.

Japanese serow

Japanese serow

Undated file photo shows a Japanese serow at a zoo in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan.

Iwate Prefectural Baseball Stadium

Iwate Prefectural Baseball Stadium

Photo taken on March 23, 2023, shows Iwate Prefectural Baseball Stadium in the northeastern Japan city of Morioka. The ballpark, which has existed since 1970, is shutting down at the end of the month due to deterioration.

Iwate Prefectural Baseball Stadium

Iwate Prefectural Baseball Stadium

Photo taken on March 23, 2023, shows Iwate Prefectural Baseball Stadium in the northeastern Japan city of Morioka. The ballpark, which has existed since 1970, is shutting down at the end of the month due to deterioration.

USJ expects record visitors due to new Harry Potter area

USJ expects record visitors due to new Harry Potter area

OSAKA, Japan - Tsuyoshi Morioka, executive of USJ Co., the operator of Universal Studios Japan, gives a speech in Osaka on June 23, 2014. Morioka said the number of visitors to the amusement park is likely to hit a record high for a single month in August due to its upcoming new attractions featuring the Harry Potter film series.

Temporary housing residents' picture-story shows

Temporary housing residents' picture-story shows

MORIOKA, Japan - Yuriko Nakamura (front L) and other residents of temporary housing in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, damaged by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, hold hand-made picture-story cards based on local folklore on June 18, 2014, in the northeastern Japanese town.

Kamaishi Fire Co. bugle band rehearses fanfare

Kamaishi Fire Co. bugle band rehearses fanfare

MORIOKA, Japan - The bugle band of the Kamaishi Fire Company rehearses a fanfare in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, on May 25, 2014.

Steam-powered Ginga train unveiled in Japan

Steam-powered Ginga train unveiled in Japan

MORIOKA, Japan - The steam-powered Ginga (Milky Way) train is unveiled on Feb. 2, 2014, at JR Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture ahead of the planned start in April of the train's service mainly in the northeastern Japanese prefecture.

Railroad fans flock to see steam-powered Ginga train

Railroad fans flock to see steam-powered Ginga train

MORIOKA, Japan - Railroad fans flock to see a steam locomotive that drives the Ginga (Milky Way) train unveiled on Feb. 2, 2014, at JR Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture ahead of the planned start of its service in April mainly in the northeastern Japanese prefecture.

Last of 2011 quake debris from Iwate heads to Tokyo

Last of 2011 quake debris from Iwate heads to Tokyo

MORIOKA, Japan - The last batch of debris caused by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami is loaded onto a container in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on the morning of Jan. 31, 2014, for disposal in Tokyo. The Tokyo metropolitan government has been engaged in the disposal of such debris in support of reconstruction efforts in the disaster-hit Tohoku region.