Bear stops play again at Japan golf event

A bear sighting on Wednesday prompted organisers of a golf tournament in Japan to cancel the opening day – the second time an ursine invader has halted play in the last two months.

The bear was spotted in the morning near the first tee at the Meiji Yasuda Ladies tournament at Sendai Classic Golf Club in northern Japan on the professional JLPGA Tour.

The pro-am competition scheduled for the same day was cancelled, with organisers later deciding to scrap Thursday's opening day of the tournament.

Organisers said they would decide later whether to play or cancel the rest of the competition, which has a total prize money of ¥100 million ($670 000).

"On Wednesday, a bear sighting on the course was reported and the pro-am tournament was cancelled to protect the safety of the participants, players and staff," said a statement on the tournament website.

"To ensure safety and to consider future measures, we have decided to cancel Thursday's opening day.

"We will announce details of the tournament from Friday onwards as soon as they have been decided."

In May, the final round of the Twinfield Ladies on the women's second-tier Step Up tour in central Japan was cancelled after a bear was spotted on the course.

The following month, a bear roaming the runway forced a Japanese airport to cancel flights and declare itself off-limits to passengers for the day.

Human encounters with bears reached record levels in Japan last year, with 219 people attacked and six deaths in the 12 months to April 2024.

Climate change affecting food sources and hibernation times, along with depopulation caused by an ageing society, are causing bears to venture into towns more frequently, scientists say.