A man attacked by a brown bear in Shibetsu, Hokkaido, says he fought back and was unharmed.

Shibetsu is a city located in the northern part of Hokkaido, Japan, known for its agricultural production, particularly dairy farming and potatoes. The area was historically settled during the Meiji era as part of Japan’s development of Hokkaido, and it grew as a transportation hub with the arrival of the railway. Today, Shibetsu is also recognized for its natural landscapes and as a starting point for exploring the nearby Shiretoko Peninsula.

Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island, was historically known as Ezochi and primarily inhabited by the indigenous Ainu people before large-scale Japanese colonization began in the late 19th century. The island was officially renamed Hokkaido in 1869, and its development accelerated during the Meiji era through agriculture, mining, and infrastructure projects. Today, Hokkaido is famous for its natural landscapes, national parks, ski resorts, and annual Sapporo Snow Festival.

The Sea of Okhotsk is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, located between Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands, and Japan’s Hokkaido. Historically, it served as a vital fishing and trade route for indigenous peoples and later for Russian and Japanese explorers and settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, it is known for its harsh winter ice cover, rich marine biodiversity, and ongoing geopolitical significance due to disputed territories like the Kuril Islands.