The Japanese city of Utsunomiya has suspended operations at all 94 public primary and junior high schools after a bear was spotted in the municipality for the first time, prompting an intensive search by police, hunters and local officials.
The bear was first seen near a park in a residential area on Saturday evening and remained at large on Monday, with multiple sightings reported across the city of roughly 500,000 people located about 100 kilometres north of Tokyo.
Authorities said the animal was observed in residential districts, a factory area and even inside a shopping arcade during the three-day search effort.
Residents have been urged to remain vigilant, avoid approaching the bear and seek shelter indoors if it is spotted.
Officials received more than 10 reports of bear sightings since Saturday, leading the city government to close all 94 schools as a precautionary measure.
The animal, described as a medium-sized black bear measuring about one metre in length, was captured on CCTV running through the city centre and was later sighted near a factory district.
Public address vehicles have been deployed across affected areas to warn residents, while police and members of the local hunting association continue efforts to locate the bear.
Authorities said it remains unclear whether all reported sightings involve the same animal.
The incident comes amid a broader increase in bear sightings and attacks across Japan.
Government data shows that nationwide bear sightings exceeded 50,000 during the last year to March, more than double the previous record set two years earlier.
Last week, a bear attack in Fukushima injured at least four people after the animal entered a company office and later moved into a factory.
Officials have reported growing concerns over encounters in urban areas, including locations closer to Tokyo than previously seen.
Experts attribute the trend to factors including fluctuations in natural food supplies, declining rural populations and changes in land use that may encourage bears to move closer to human settlements.
The number of Asiatic black bears in Japan is also believed to have increased in recent years, contributing to the rise in sightings and human-wildlife encounters.