Lost Contact While Cleaning Hot Spring
Body Found in the Woods the Next Day
Katsumi Sasazaki, a 60-year-old professional wrestling referee, lost his life in a wild bear attack at a hot spring in Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
A bear spotted at a supermarket in Numata, Gunma Prefecture on the 7th (not directly related to the article). Photo by AFP Yonhap News
According to local media reports, the incident occurred on the morning of the 16th near an open-air bath at a hot spring inn in Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture. At the time, Sasazaki was assigned to clean the open-air bath, and he lost contact with others around 10 a.m.
About an hour later, at 11:15 a.m., the inn staff, noticing something was wrong, reported him missing to the police. At the scene, glasses, slippers, and cleaning tools were found scattered around. Numerous traces of blood and what appeared to be bear fur were also discovered near the fence, raising the possibility of a bear encounter.
The open-air bath is located atop a river cliff and is surrounded by a fence about one meter high. The police, city officials, and the local hunters' association formed a search party of around 30 people, but the search was suspended after just 30 minutes due to worsening weather conditions.
The following day, on the 17th, after the search resumed at 9 a.m., a severely damaged body was found in the forest about 50 meters northwest of the open-air bath. The police believe it is highly likely that the death was caused by a bear attack. Near the search area, a male Asiatic black bear, about 1.5 meters long, was killed.
Earlier this month, another man was killed in a bear attack in the same area, and authorities are not ruling out the possibility of a series of attacks by the same animal. Experts commented, "It is unusual for such incidents to occur repeatedly in the same area over a short period," and added, "It is possible that the bear has begun to perceive humans as prey."
Sasazaki debuted as a women's professional wrestling referee in 1989 and went on to work with various organizations including All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling, ZERO1, Tochigi Pro Wrestling, and Marigold, maintaining a long-standing presence in the field. He was also known by the nickname "Katsumi Tiger," and in addition to refereeing, he took on various responsibilities such as driving vehicles for the wrestling teams.
He served as vice president of the ZERO1 management company in 2015 and was the head of Dream On Stage in 2018. After retiring, he moved to Kitakami with his family and worked as an employee at the hot spring.
This year, there have been seven fatal bear attacks in Japan, the highest number since statistics began in 2006. In response, the Japanese government recently amended the law to allow local governments to kill bears based solely on their own judgment in areas where bear sightings are frequent, and has also partially permitted the use of shotguns within cities, thereby increasing the level of response.
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