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Daisetsuzan NP, Hokkaido
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At Kogen Onsen, bears may appear on far slopes almost daily for about a month from mid-July—a rare, dependable wildlife-viewing chance in Daisetsuzan. Visitors may spot them grazing through binoculars.
Researchers observed a female bear called Keiko each year from 1980 to 1992 without a tracking collar. Tooth growth layers later put her age at about 31; she had given birth 5 times and raised 7 cubs.
Many Daisetsuzan bears eat mostly plants, even digging for ants. Their mountain menu shifts with the season: shoots beside melting snow in July–August, then rowan berries, blueberries and dwarf-pine cones in August–September.
In Upper Kamikawa Ainu tradition, the bear is Kimun-kamuy, “mountain deity”; a local rite sent its spirit back to the kamuy world. Daisetsuzan itself is honored as Kamuy Mintar, “the gods’ playground.”
The familiar bear-with-salmon carving has parallel Hokkaido roots: Yakumo’s souvenir craft and Asahikawa’s Ainu carving. Bear hunter Matsui Umetarō helped launch the Asahikawa tradition around 1926.
Daisetsuzan bears are not simply night prowlers: they forage and rest around the clock. Wary bears often notice hikers first, then hide in brush and wait for people to pass—so an unseen bear may already have spotted you.
At Kogen Onsen, wardens patrol the trail before hikers enter; meals are allowed at only 3 lakes, and cooking is banned. These rules help prevent bears from associating people with food and keep them wild.
A Daisetsuzan bear may be black or reddish-brown, sometimes with gray or ochre mixed into its coat. Two bears of the same species can look surprisingly different.
