Bear Sightings Halt Two Japan Women's Golf Tournaments

A bear sighting at the Meiji Yasuda Ladies tournament in northern Japan led to the cancellation of the pro-am competition and the tournament's opening day, marking the second time in two months that bear encounters have disrupted a golf event in Japan. This incident is the first recorded cancellation of a round on the top-tier JLPGA Tour due to a bear sighting, with organizers prioritizing the safety of players and staff while deciding on the event's continuation. Similar disruptions occurred in May when a bear sighting forced the cancellation of the final round of the Twinfield Ladies tournament on the second-tier Step Up Tour. The frequency of bear encounters in Japan has reached record levels, with 219 attacks and six deaths reported in the 12 months up to April 2024, driven by climate change affecting bears' food sources and hibernation patterns, as well as human depopulation of rural areas allowing bears to expand their range. Officials and biologists highlight these ecological changes as key factors behind the increased bear activity near human-populated areas. The Meiji Yasuda Ladies tournament organizers continue to monitor the situation closely before deciding whether to resume play.