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Nichibunken is in a suburb west of Kyoto. It may be said to lie on Kyoto’s outskirts. There is often talk of wild boars nearby. But the wild animals spotted around here are not confined to boars. Deer are frequently encountered, and we sometimes hear of sightings of monkeys and weasels, although I have never seen them myself.

Photo by Nichibunken staff, 2019.

The other day a bear was spotted on the road to the east of Nichibunken. I got the news from people who live nearby. “There is a bear strolling about!” I could not believe my ears. Initially I thought that surely there couldn’t be bears around here. However, then the sighting was also broadcast on the news. It seems that a bear was indeed spotted wandering close by.

Recently there are fewer people coming and going in the vicinity because of covid counter-measures. It is now quite normal for us to work remotely. It may be that this helps explain why the bear came down to Nichibunken. There are fewer people around, so it felt confident in making its approach. I’m not certain this is the case, but will conclude with that hunch.