TOKYO: A police officer discovered the lower half of a human body near Sengen Toge pass in the Nippara district of Western Tokyo’s Okutama on Tuesday (May 19).
The gender and age of the deceased are unknown. The droppings and footprints of a large animal were found in the vicinity, and police are working to identify the body.
They believe it is possible the person died as the result of a bear attack or a mountain accident.
According to police, an off-duty officer noticed the smell of a decomposing body while hiking near the scene on Thursday, May 14.
Starting on Tuesday morning, a team of about 30 people — including police officers and members of a local hunting club — searched the area, as a result of which they found the body at the bottom of a cliff about 100 meters from the hiking trail.
On Sunday, a Russian man in his 30s was attacked by a bear while hiking on a forest road in Okutama, sustaining serious injuries to his face and arms.
According to the Environment Ministry, there have been no confirmed deaths caused by bears in Tokyo since at least fiscal year 2008. - The Yomiuri Shimbun
