The Minakami Onsen area (Minakami Town, Gunma Prefecture) lies within Asian black bear habitat, and sightings are reported every year. As of autumn 2026, however, the prefecture has published only two bear-related injuries statewide for the year (in Kiryu and Midori, both inside mountain forest), and neither occurred in Minakami’s hot spring towns. Inns at Minakami Onsen and Takaragawa Onsen are operating as normal. As for the bears long kept at Takaragawa Onsen Osenkaku (宝川温泉 汪泉閣), a 2019 first-hand account records that their cages had been removed, and the inn’s official website no longer mentions them. The quickest way to be certain is to ask the inn directly. This article walks through, in the order a traveler can act on it, where to check sighting information, how a hot-spring-town hotel differs from a secluded mountain inn, what to ask the inn before you go, and listed room prices for autumn and winter 2026.

Are There Bears at Minakami and Takaragawa Onsen? Sightings in Autumn 2026

The short answer: bears do live in the area, but they are not something you routinely run into in the hot spring towns. According to the Gunma Prefecture Natural Environment Division page “Asian Black Bear Information” (updated October 16, 2026), sightings and encounters in the prefecture in FY2026 (April 2026 to March 2027) numbered 29 in April, 113 in May, 215 in June, 171 in July, 105 in August and 70 in September, for an April-September total of 703. There were two injuries: one on June 29 in Kiryu (near the summit of Mt. Narukami, while hiking) and one on August 13 in Midori (at a mountain stream in forest, while fishing). Both happened deep in the forest. As of that update, the page lists no injuries in Minakami Town for FY2026.

Source: Gunma Prefecture Natural Environment Division, “Asian Black Bear Information” (updated October 16, 2026). Prefecture-wide counts of sightings and encounters in areas of human activity; no breakdown for Minakami Town alone. Japanese fiscal years run April to March.

The same April-September period of the previous fiscal year (FY2025) saw 510 reports, so FY2026 is running about 40% (+37.8%) ahead. Last year, reports jumped to 519 in October and 289 in November, which makes October and November, just before hibernation, the period that calls for the most care.

Bear sightings and encounters in Gunma Prefecture by month. FY2025 is the full year; FY2026 is through September. Counts in areas of human activity. Source: Gunma Prefecture Natural Environment Division, “Asian Black Bear Information” (updated October 16, 2026).

At the same time, it is worth being clear that Minakami is a town where bears do appear. In 2025, a man gathering chestnuts in the town’s Maniwa district was attacked on September 22; a man and a woman out walking in the Shimotsu district were attacked on October 13 (by a mother bear with a cub); and on October 18 one person each was attacked in the Haba district (while picking mushrooms) and the Takahinata district (while walking a dog), all suffering injuries (Gunma Prefecture Natural Environment Division injury list; Jomo Shimbun reporting). That is four incidents and five people injured in the town in less than a month. In the Fujiwara district, where Takaragawa Onsen is located, a woman out walking was also injured after encountering a bear on September 20, 2024. All of these happened during outdoor activities such as chestnut gathering, mushroom picking and walks, and autumn is when bears widen their range in search of food before hibernation. National sighting statistics, and how hot spring areas in the most-affected prefectures prepare each autumn, are covered in 50,801 Bear Sightings: 1,730 Onsen Inns in Japan’s Top 8 Prefectures.

The latest sighting locations can be checked on the map published by the prefecture, the “Gunma Prefecture Bear Sighting Map” (Japanese). In a notice dated May 1, 2026, the Minakami Town Tourism Association states that it does not track individual sightings or each inn’s measures, and directs visitors to this map and the prefecture’s web pamphlet. Checking the day before and the day of your stay for any pins near your inn is enough.

How Long Were the Bears at Takaragawa Onsen Osenkaku? Are They Still There?

Most people searching for “Takaragawa Onsen bears” want to know about the bears Osenkaku kept on its grounds. The story began shortly after the Second World War, when the innkeeper raised a cub that had lost its mother, and the inn was once known for letting bear cubs into its open-air bath. A June 2015 report (Mynavi News) described bears and rabbits being kept beyond the Hakutaka Bridge, which leads from the guest rooms to the large open-air baths, so the bears were certainly there at that point.

Later, hot spring writer Jun Kogure revisited the inn in July 2019 after a five-year gap and wrote that the bear enclosure had disappeared without a trace; the inn explained that “with more foreign visitors, we removed the cages out of concern for animal welfare.” In other words, the kept bears were gone by mid-2019 at the latest. Bathing alongside bears had already ended well before that because of local regulations.

As of October 2026, Osenkaku’s official website makes no mention of keeping bears. The natural conclusion is that there are no bears kept there now, although public information does not confirm exactly when the cages were removed or where the bears were taken. Do not go expecting to see bears, and if it matters to you, check directly with the inn when you book.

What Happened at Osenkaku in October 2020?

HotelBank’s own October 2020 news report tends to appear in search results because, before dawn on October 16, 2020, a male guest walking along Osenkaku’s outdoor walkway toward the open-air bath was bitten on the arm and thigh by a wild Asian black bear. His injuries were not life-threatening, and the bear is believed to have come onto the grounds to eat walnuts. Autumn 2020 brought Gunma’s worst acorn crop in eight years, and bear appearances near human settlements rose nationwide that year. The incident took place six years ago; the inn has continued to operate normally, and the only closure announced on its official website for 2026 was September 1-3.

Hot-Spring-Town Hotels and Secluded Mountain Inns Face Different Conditions

“Minakami Onsen” is often treated as one place, but its inns fall into two broad settings. One is the Minakami Onsen town itself (the Yubara district), about five minutes by car from JR Minakami Station, where large hotels and ryokan line the Tone River. Many of these properties keep everything, including open-air baths and meals, inside the building. Guests are outdoors only when coming and going from the station or parking lot, and there is little need to step outside at night. Rates and shuttle arrangements at the large hotels in town are covered month by month and by day of the week in Ooedo Onsen Monogatari Premium Matsunoi: Rates and Review Trends 2026 (HotelPicks, in Japanese).

The other setting is the hot springs scattered along mountain streams and valleys: Takaragawa, Tanigawa, Yubiso, Sarugakyo, Hoshi and others. Takaragawa Onsen Osenkaku (43 rooms) stands alone on the Takaragawa River in the headwaters of the Tone, and guests reach its four large open-air baths, set on both banks of the river, by leaving their rooms and crossing covered walkways and bridges. This is the inn’s greatest attraction, but the long outdoor route also means conditions differ from those at hotels in town. If you choose an inn like this, confirming the following points with the inn when you book will let you relax and enjoy your stay.

• Guidance on outdoor routes at night: Lighting on the paths to the open-air baths and the hours they can be used at night. Osenkaku’s official website says its indoor baths, Tono-yu and Hime-yu, are open 24 hours; ask the inn about night-time use of the open-air baths.
• Bear-bell loans: If you plan to walk nearby trails or viewpoint routes, ask whether bells are available to borrow and which routes are currently open.
• Shuttle service and times: Mountain inns are some distance from the nearest station, so confirm how to reserve the shuttle. Do not walk there.
• Sharing of sighting information: The inn knows best whether there have been any recent sightings nearby.

What to Do on Site (Based on Gunma Prefecture’s Advisory)

The precautions Gunma Prefecture sets out for residents and visitors apply directly to a hot spring trip. When walking mountain roads or trails, carry something that makes noise, such as a bell or radio, and avoid going alone in the dim hours of early morning and dusk. Turn back if you find fresh droppings or tracks. Do not leave food or garbage outside. If you do meet a bear, do not run or shout; back away slowly and quietly. Do not approach or photograph a cub (its mother will be nearby). For a daytime stroll around the hot spring town, following two of these rules, “do not leave garbage out” and “do not head up the mountainside in the early morning or at dusk,” is enough.

Listed Room Prices in Minakami (as of October 2026)

Bears aside, price is also worth checking when deciding whether to stay. Based on aggregated OTA public data, the average listed price at Minakami inns (per room, 2 guests, tax included, as of October 2026) is about ¥40,300 for October 2026 stays (42 properties listed; N=391 daily data points) and about ¥42,200 for November stays (42 properties listed). The same months a year earlier averaged about ¥31,700 and ¥30,400, so prices are up sharply: +27.0% for October and +39.1% for November. Besides autumn-foliage demand, the grand opening of a large hotel in the hot spring town in August 2026, which changed the mix of listed properties, likely affected the town-wide average. Minakami’s position in the highest price tier in Gunma is shown by municipality in Gunma ADR Gap Hits 3.5x: Minakami ¥18,200 vs Isesaki ¥5,270.

Listed room prices at Minakami inns (per room, 2 guests, tax included, monthly average). October 2025 to October 2026 use prices listed as of each month; November 2026 uses forward prices listed as of October 2026. 37 to 42 properties listed each month. Source: HotelBank Editorial Team research (OTA public data).

By property type, the price bands separate clearly. Aggregating listed prices for November 2026 stays by OTA category gives the figures below. Ryokan dominate both in town and in the mountains, but choosing a pension or minshuku (family-run guesthouse) keeps the price to around ¥20,000 per room for 2 guests.

Minakami Town, November 2026 stays, OTA listed prices as of October 2026 (per room, 2 guests, tax included). Aggregated by each OTA’s category registration, so the population differs from the town-wide average above (42 properties). Cottage and vacation rental prices are per building, which accommodate more guests. Source: HotelBank Editorial Team research.

Takaragawa Onsen Osenkaku’s listed price as of October 2026 runs from around ¥50,000 to the mid-¥50,000s per room for 2 guests (river-side rooms with dinner, for dates through November), above the town average. If you choose a secluded mountain inn, settling the night-time routes and shuttle questions above at the time of booking, along with price, means no uncertainty on the day. How quickly Gunma ryokan fill up during the autumn-foliage season is tracked date by date in Gunma Ryokan at 91.0% Est. OCC 15 Days Before Oct 24 Foliage Weekend (estimates as of October 2026).

For a Closer Look

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Are there bears at Minakami Onsen?
A. Minakami Town is Asian black bear habitat, and sightings are reported every year. However, the two injuries Gunma Prefecture has published for FY2026 (as of the October 16 update) both occurred inside mountain forest in Kiryu and Midori, not in Minakami Onsen town. Inns are operating normally, and no special equipment is needed for a daytime stroll around the hot spring town.

Q. Are the bears still at Takaragawa Onsen Osenkaku?
A. A 2015 report described bears being kept there, but a July 2019 first-hand account records that the bear enclosure cages had been removed, and the official website makes no mention of kept bears as of October 2026. The inn appears not to keep bears now, but please confirm directly with the inn.

Q. Where can I check bear sighting information?
A. The “Gunma Prefecture Bear Sighting Map” published by the prefecture shows sightings by location. The Natural Environment Division’s “Asian Black Bear Information” page lists monthly counts and injuries, and the Minakami Town Tourism Association also points visitors to these two sources. Checking the area around your inn the day before and the day of your stay gives peace of mind.

Q. Can I use the open-air baths at night?
A. It depends on the inn. Osenkaku’s official website says its indoor baths, Tono-yu and Hime-yu, are open 24 hours, but please ask the inn about night-time use of the outdoor open-air baths. At mountain inns, the surest approach is to ask about night-time outdoor routes when you book.

Methodology and Sources

• Bear sightings and injuries: Gunma Prefecture Natural Environment Division, “Asian Black Bear Information” (updated October 16, 2026); Gunma Prefecture Bear Sighting Map; Gunma Prefecture press release (September 2025); Jomo Shimbun (October 19, 2025); Minakami Town Tourism Association notice (May 1, 2026).
• Osenkaku’s kept bears: Mynavi News (June 25, 2015); Jun Kogure, “Gensen Hitorijime” (July 2, 2019); Osenkaku official website (viewed October 2026). The exact timing of the removal could not be confirmed from public information.
• October 16, 2020 incident: HotelBank news report (October 17, 2020).
• Listed prices: Listed prices (tax included) per room for 2 guests at Minakami inns, aggregated from OTA public data by the HotelBank Editorial Team. Stays from October 2025 to October 2026 use prices listed as of each month; November 2026 stays use forward prices listed as of October 2026. Town-wide monthly averages cover 37 to 42 listed properties; October 2026 has N=391 daily data points. Property types follow each OTA’s category registration. These are listed prices, not actual transaction prices.

■ Data Sources

Bear counts and injuries come from the monthly sightings table and the injury list on the Gunma Prefecture Natural Environment Division page “Asian Black Bear Information” (updated October 16, 2026). The history of Osenkaku’s kept bears comes from press reports, a first-hand account and the official website; listed prices are OTA public data aggregated by the HotelBank Editorial Team.

■ Assumptions

Listed prices are monthly averages per room for 2 guests, tax included; November 2026 stays use forward prices as of October 2026. Year-over-year changes compare against the same month a year earlier using the same method. The year-over-year change in sightings compares April-September totals (703 vs 510).

■ Limitations

The prefecture’s sighting counts are prefecture-wide totals of sightings and encounters in areas of human activity; no monthly breakdown for Minakami Town alone is published. FY2026 data runs through September, and October onward awaits the prefecture’s next update. Listed prices are not transaction prices, and the average also shifts with changes in the mix of listed properties (such as the August 2026 grand opening of a large hotel). The timing of the removal of Osenkaku’s bears and where they were taken could not be confirmed from public information.