Overview
- The prefecture, which on Tuesday said it had identified several repeat hoax posters and shared their details with police, also changed the site to require a phone number with each report.
- Officials added a process that lets city and town offices call posters to verify reports, and the site now tells users to contact local offices or police in urgent cases.
- The map publishes sightings right away on phones and computers, and schools use the alerts to adjust pick-up plans and guide students during commutes.
- Reports jumped after a bear was culled in central Aomori City on May 15, with the city counting 133 submissions over the next three days.
- False entries included claims of 300 bears and bears brawling on train tracks, and Governor Soichiro Miyashita warned of firm action under laws that cover obstructing public duties.