くま出没注意京都

In the mountains of northern Kyoto city, there is a small village called Kumogahata.

It is just a thirty-minute drive from downtown, but a world away.

Until the 1860s, it was the hunting grounds for the emperor, and game still exist in large numbers. Deer, fox, boar, and bear are all common.

This year because of the brutal heat of summer, the bear are causing havoc among city and town dwellers. Their usual food supply is in short supply, and all over Japan bear have been wandering into areas where bear and humans meet.

In Kumogahata, this is not unusual. The sign above is mainly for children who attend the small elementary school nearby. (Behind it is a crossing guard's sign.)

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