Kuma Radar · Published · Updated
A road trip or a stay outside a city can include several places to check: your accommodation, walks along the way and parks you plan to visit. This guide explains how to work from your itinerary to the map and then to the original official information.
List the destinations in your itinerary
Identify the prefectures containing your accommodation, planned walks and nature parks. If you cross prefecture boundaries, select each relevant area on the map. Records around one hotel cannot describe the whole journey.
Source formats and coverage differ between destinations such as Hokkaido and Nagano. Open the sources page to check the area covered and whether event data has been imported automatically.
Read the sighting date and the document period
The default view covers the past 90 days. Before departure, also switch to seven-day and 30-day views to compare dates. A point in a longer period does not mean a bear remains at that location.
The sighting date, the official document’s coverage date and the website’s sync time are separate. A successful sync does not establish that an authority has published every recent event.
Check local and facility announcements before departure
Check local government bear information and the latest announcements from parks, accommodation providers and trail managers. Kuma Radar does not show facility opening status or live access restrictions. Use the manager’s information to confirm conditions that affect your itinerary.
Japan’s Ministry of the Environment publishes visitor information about bears before a national park visit. Read the original guidance alongside local announcements.
Use radar and official sources during your stay
Compass radar shows the direction and straight-line distance from your location to recorded places. Location and heading access are optional. The distance is neither a travel route nor your current distance from a bear. Read the sighting date as well.
Common questions
Does an empty map mean there are no bears at my destination?
No. Information may be unpublished, not imported, outside the selected period or missing coordinates. Check source coverage and local official information.
Should I start with the map or official announcements?
You can use the map to organise records by date and area, then check the local original sources for scope and current announcements. Confirm access conditions with the responsible manager.