Niigata's latest bear attack was a minute from Echigo-Yuzawa Station

If you've visited Niigata via the Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo, the first station you hit here is Echigo-Yuzawa. It's the gateway to plenty of great skiing and winter activities during the colder months, and there are quite a few nice ryokan to stay out in the area. 

On that note, a bear attack happened in a ryokan parking lot in Echigo Yuzawa just last night, with the ryokan being all of 200 meters from the station. 

A little context for how far the ryokan attack was from Echigo Yuzawa Station. A very short stroll away. 

I've walked this street many times. Sure, the general area of Echigo Yuzawa is surrounded by mountains, but this main street is fairly well traversed and not really what you'd think of when you imagine a bear attack location. I think that's what is making this whole bear proliferation so scary. They're turning up everywhere, from tourist areas like Shirakawago to the aisles of supermarkets, and plenty of other places you wouldn't expect them to be.

I know that a lot of people out here are becoming more and more concerned. Many local news sites have the leading hashtag for news on their sites as #クマ被害 (bear attack), so you know it's bad when that's the case.

I've said it before, but if you live in a more rural locale (or quite frankly these days, even if you don't), be mindful of when you go out, especially right now in autumn when bears are trying to eat a lot before their wintery hibernation period. The attacks don't seem to be stopping any time soon, so I think vigilance on the human side is going to be key.