This Is a First... Japan Women's Pro Golf 1st Round Canceled Due to Bear Sighting

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In Japan, the first round of a professional golf tournament was canceled due to the appearance of a bear. While cancellations or postponements have occurred in the past because of natural disasters such as heavy rain or earthquakes, this is the first time in Japanese golf history that a tournament has been canceled due to a bear sighting.

The Japan Ladies Professional Golfers' Association (JLPGA) announced on the 17th that it had canceled the first round of the 'Meiji Yasuda Ladies Golf Tournament,' which was scheduled to be held at Sendai Classic Golf Club in Tomiya, Miyagi Prefecture. After multiple reports of bear sightings around the golf course the previous day, the organizers suspended the pro-am tournament on the same day and then decided to cancel the first round on the 17th. Whether the second round will be held will be determined based on the situation that day. Japanese media reported, "This is the first time in history that a regular golf tournament has been suspended due to a bear."

A view of Sendai Classic Golf Club where the first round of the Japan Women's Professional Golf 'Meiji Yasuda Ladies' was canceled due to bear sightings.

Across Japan, there have been a series of incidents involving property damage and human casualties caused by bears. On the 12th, a man in his 50s delivering newspapers was killed in a bear attack in a residential area of Fukushima-cho, Hokkaido. On the 26th of last month, a bear measuring 1.2 meters in length was spotted on the runway at Yamagata Airport in eastern Honshu's Yamagata Prefecture. Airport authorities closed the runway and conducted patrols for safety, but failed to capture the bear. As a result, four flights were delayed in the morning alone. The bear appeared again at lunchtime, prompting another runway closure and the cancellation of about ten flights.

Players participating in the Meiji Yasuda Ladies Golf Tournament. JLPGA

According to statistics from Japan's Ministry of the Environment, 37 people were attacked by bears in the first half of this year alone. Starting in September, the Japanese government has revised regulations to allow local governments to authorize the use of firearms to kill bears or wild boars that appear in residential areas, even if the person is not a police officer.