Bear Chases Shiba Inu into Home; 80-Year-Old Japanese Grandma Scares It Off with a Lint Roller
In Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, an 80-year-old woman used a lint roller to scare off a bear that had chased her Shiba Inu into her home.
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- 📰 Published: June 3, 2026 at 15:31
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- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 6, 2026 at 22:02 (78h 15m after Collected)
(Central News Agency reporter Dai Yazhen, Tokyo, 3rd) A dramatic 'Grandma vs. Bear' incident recently occurred in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. A black bear, about 1.5 meters long, chased a Shiba Inu into a house, only to be confronted by an 80-year-old woman with limited mobility. She grabbed a lint roller, using it as a cane and a weapon, and shouted 'Don't underestimate me!' at the bear, successfully scaring it away.
According to the Asahi Shimbun, Kazuko Takahashi, who lives in the deepest part of the mountainous area, lost her husband 30 years ago and her eldest son last year. She now lives alone with her male Shiba Inu, 'Miyabi.' On the evening of May 31, her dog suddenly started barking furiously, and Takahashi immediately sensed something was wrong. Her intuition told her, 'It's a bear.'
There are plum and persimmon trees near Takahashi's home, and bears often appear at dusk, sometimes even climbing the trees. However, in the past, the bears would leave when the dog barked. This time was different.
Takahashi later speculated that because her strong-willed Shiba Inu kept barking provocatively, the bear chased the dog around the outside of the house, once, twice, getting closer and closer.
Worried that her beloved dog would be attacked, Takahashi called the police while making a surprising decision. Despite her limited mobility, she stood up using the lint roller for support, opened the kitchen sliding door, called Miyabi inside, and then closed the screen door.
She has lived in this house since she was four years old. Although she often sees bears, one had never broken into her home before. She thought, 'This should make it leave.'
But the story didn't end there. The next moment, the bear crashed through the screen door and entered the kitchen.
Seeing the bear less than two meters away, Takahashi knew she couldn't run. 'Rather than do nothing and get attacked, I decided to fight,' she thought.
She stood in front of her dog, spread her arms, gripped the lint roller, and shouted, 'Waaah!' and 'Don't underestimate me!'
She later said she just wanted to make the bear think she was bigger and stronger, otherwise, her life would be in danger.
Surprisingly, the bear seemed genuinely frightened, turned around, and ran out of the house. Soon after it fled, police and neighbors arrived.
Despite the terrifying experience, Takahashi doesn't dislike bears. She recalled seeing a handsome mother and baby bear at a shrine behind her house a few years ago, and even joked that the bear that broke in was 'quite a handsome guy, maybe it's the same cub from back then, all grown up.'
She remains very calm about the confrontation. 'This was originally the bears' home,' she said.
Takahashi has decided to keep her dog indoors from now on, but otherwise, she says her life won't change much. 'Many people say bears nowadays have lost their order and attack people, but I don't think the bears here are like that. How people and bears coexist is very important.'
She added with a smile, 'I actually really like bears.' (Editor: Tian Ruihua) 1150603
According to the Asahi Shimbun, Kazuko Takahashi, who lives in the deepest part of the mountainous area, lost her husband 30 years ago and her eldest son last year. She now lives alone with her male Shiba Inu, 'Miyabi.' On the evening of May 31, her dog suddenly started barking furiously, and Takahashi immediately sensed something was wrong. Her intuition told her, 'It's a bear.'
There are plum and persimmon trees near Takahashi's home, and bears often appear at dusk, sometimes even climbing the trees. However, in the past, the bears would leave when the dog barked. This time was different.
Takahashi later speculated that because her strong-willed Shiba Inu kept barking provocatively, the bear chased the dog around the outside of the house, once, twice, getting closer and closer.
Worried that her beloved dog would be attacked, Takahashi called the police while making a surprising decision. Despite her limited mobility, she stood up using the lint roller for support, opened the kitchen sliding door, called Miyabi inside, and then closed the screen door.
She has lived in this house since she was four years old. Although she often sees bears, one had never broken into her home before. She thought, 'This should make it leave.'
But the story didn't end there. The next moment, the bear crashed through the screen door and entered the kitchen.
Seeing the bear less than two meters away, Takahashi knew she couldn't run. 'Rather than do nothing and get attacked, I decided to fight,' she thought.
She stood in front of her dog, spread her arms, gripped the lint roller, and shouted, 'Waaah!' and 'Don't underestimate me!'
She later said she just wanted to make the bear think she was bigger and stronger, otherwise, her life would be in danger.
Surprisingly, the bear seemed genuinely frightened, turned around, and ran out of the house. Soon after it fled, police and neighbors arrived.
Despite the terrifying experience, Takahashi doesn't dislike bears. She recalled seeing a handsome mother and baby bear at a shrine behind her house a few years ago, and even joked that the bear that broke in was 'quite a handsome guy, maybe it's the same cub from back then, all grown up.'
She remains very calm about the confrontation. 'This was originally the bears' home,' she said.
Takahashi has decided to keep her dog indoors from now on, but otherwise, she says her life won't change much. 'Many people say bears nowadays have lost their order and attack people, but I don't think the bears here are like that. How people and bears coexist is very important.'
She added with a smile, 'I actually really like bears.' (Editor: Tian Ruihua) 1150603