News This Bear Became an Unexpected Highlight at an Olympic Softball Game The creature was seen at a Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium, about 150 miles north of the central Olympic sites in Tokyo. By Rachel Chang Rachel Chang Instagram Twitter Website Rachel Chang is a travel and pop culture journalist who grew up in the California Bay Area and now lives in New York City (well, Hoboken, New Jersey). She's a solo travel advocate, dumpling addict, and reluctant runner — who managed to finish the NYC marathon three times. She's also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Romania and Poland. Rachel started her editorial career chasing celebrities as a magazine editor (Popstar associate editor, CosmoGirl entertainment editor, J-14 editor-in-chief, Us Weekly senior editor). Along the way, she also started chasing passport stamps and is now a freelance writer and editor contributing to Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, and The Washington Post, among others. She also edits standalone entertainment and travel magazines. Prior to this, she worked in television publicity at The WB Television Network, and also interned at Nickelodeon and "Dawson's Creek." * 25+ years of media experience in television, magazines, and digital brands * 20+ years of editorial experience as a journalist, writer, and editor * TaiwaneseAmerican.org's 100 Passionate People Pioneer * Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Professional Gallery Wall of Fame * Received a bachelor's degree in communication studies from the University of California, Los Angeles * Received a master's degree in magazine, newspaper, and online journalism from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications * Completed writing courses through UCLA Extension, Media Bistro, Gotham Writers Workshop, Yale Writers' Workshop, and the Highlights Foundation * Founding executive board member of the alumni group Newhouse 44 and still serves as a member * 15+ years of experience as a judge for the Mirror Awards Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on July 26, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Yuri SmityukTASS via Getty Images There was an unexpected competitor going for the Olympic gold in Japan last week. Hours before the first event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium last Wednesday, a bear was spotted by guards, the Associated Press reported. The furry creature was seen both the night before and the morning of the Japan-versus-Australia softball match. "We couldn't find or capture the bear, and while there won't be any spectators at the stadium, we are on alert and searching for the bear around the site," a police spokesperson for Fukushima told Agence France-Presse. While some local outlets identified it as an Asian black bear, others reported that it was a brown bear. The venue where several baseball and softball matches are being played is located quite a distance from the bulk of the events in Tokyo. As part of the Azuma Sports Park in Fukushima City, it's about 150 miles north of the capital, according to the AP. The sighting brought unexpected firecrackers and loud music to the area — tactics that the newspaper Sports Hochi reported were part of a strategy used to keep the creature away, as a group of guards spent the entire night on the search. The cause for concern was warranted. According to Agence France-Press, though the animals are common in the area, they're particularly dangerous when they reach the towns since they have a tendency to attack — and even kill — humans. In fact, just last year, Japan faced the most bear attacks in five years, Bloomberg reported, attributing the fact to the global pandemic keeping people inside. "I woke up to text messages asking, is this real? There's a big black bear, saying that it got on the field, it got in the area and it's on the loose," American shortstop Amanda Chidester told the AP on Thursday. "And I felt, what? This is crazy. No way." There were no further sightings on Wednesday or Thursday. Last month, The Japan Times reported that a brown bear was shot and killed after it injured four people in Sapporo, which will host the Olympic marathon running and race walking events in August. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit