![\"Hakuba](\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-1987732670.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAs bear attacks hit record highs in Japan, one professional snowboarder filmed himself out-carving a charging black bear.<\/p>\n
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Hakuba is a well-known snow sport area in the Japanese Alps (Photo: CHUNYIP WONG\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Published December 17, 2025 01:03PM<\/p>\n
Most skiers and snowboarders kick off the season with a cold brew and some fresh powder. For professional snowboarder Makoto Kuroki<\/a>, winter 2025 started with an ambush and a high-speed pursuit.<\/p>\n While carving through Japan\u2019s Hakuba Valley on December 7, Kuroki realized he wasn\u2019t alone on the piste. A Japanese black bear suddenly appeared downslope and began charging uphill toward\u00a0him.<\/p>\n In a series of short clips he posted to social media<\/a> the following day, Kuroki\u00a0is seen carving around the apex predator as if it were just a 250-pound slalom gate. After a short chase, the bear seems to realize it has no hope of catching him and heads off-slope into the forest.<\/p>\n A memorable moment from my first run of the season: meeting a bear on the slopes \ud83e\uddf8 \u2014 MAKOTO KUROKI (@MK2BLACK) December 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Kuroki\u2019s initial social media reaction? Peak athlete chill.<\/p>\n \u201cA memorable moment from my first run,\u201d he remarked in his post\u2019s caption. To be fair, being hunted by a furry tank isn\u2019t exactly\u00a0forgettable.<\/p>\n In a December 12 interview with The Japan Times<\/a>, however, Kuroki was a bit more candid.<\/p>\n \u201cHad I fallen, I would have been caught,\u201d he admitted. \u201cHad I collided, I might have been attacked. It was a close call.\u201d<\/p>\n Kuroki, who lives and works in the Hakuba region, explained in his blog<\/a> that the encounter happened early in the morning, when no other skiers or snowboarders were on the slopes. If heading out to the slopes alone, particularly in the early morning or evening hours, he recommended carrying a whistle, as bears are believed to be deterred by loud noises.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n While his footage looks like a scene from an action movie, Kuroki\u2019s ultimate takeaway was humble.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are able to enjoy skiing and snowboarding thanks to the mountains\u2014home to bears, deer, and many other wildlife species,\u201d he wrote in the post. He added that for him, the incident was a reminder that humans should \u201cappreciate this environment that we are borrowing.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a record year for bear encounters in Japan. The country\u2019s Ministry of the Environment reports<\/a>\u00a0there have been more than 36,800 bear sightings across the country since April. Although the animals are usually hibernating by now, a shortage in their primary food source\u2014beechnut, chestnut, and oak acorns\u2014may be preventing them from entering their deep slumber as usual.<\/p>\n Kuroki can be considered lucky. According to government statistics, 230 people in Japan<\/a> have been attacked since April, resulting in 13 fatalities. In the United States, by comparison, there have been less than half of that.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s enjoy winter sports while respecting nature and protecting our mountains \ud83c\udfd4\ufe0f\u2744\ufe0f\ud83d\udc3b\ud83c\udfc2\ud83d\udef9 pic.twitter.com\/G5Yfp2qPvz<\/a><\/p>\n