Imagine getting a day off school because there’s literally a bear wandering through your local shopping arcade. Well, that’s exactly what happened in Utsunomiya this week.

So, a bear has been casually strolling around Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, for three days straight — and it’s caused proper chaos, according to cbinews.tv.

On Monday, the city shut all 94 public primary and junior high schools after more than 10 bear sightings were reported since Saturday. We’re talking shopping arcades, parks, even outside a high school and junior school. Bit different from your usual “snow day”, isn’t it?

A city official told AFP that dozens of hunters, police and local officials are out looking for the animal. They’ve got vehicles patrolling areas where the bear was seen, telling people to stay indoors or in their cars.

And here’s the thing — no one’s even sure if it’s just one bear or a few of them. The one first spotted on Saturday was described as about one metre long, popping up north of the city centre. Since then, residents have seen it near a residential neighbourhood, a wholesale market, and yep, that shopping arcade on Sunday.

Japan’s actually been seeing way more bear encounters lately, especially in towns and cities. Last year was brutal — a record 13 people were killed by bears. Sightings nationwide hit over 50,000 in the year to March, which is more than double the previous record.

What’s wild is that Utsunomiya, home to 510,000 people, only had *two* unconfirmed sightings in the entire previous year. So, this roaming bear is a proper shock for locals.

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