Officially, bears do exist in Hakuba. In fact, they're found throughout much of Japan. The Japanese black bear (tsukinowaguma), with its white crescent-moon collar, is traditionally associated with the Shinto mountain spirit yama no kami. So if you see one, don't run… pray for powder and a stable snowpack.
How many black bears are there in Hakuba? No one knows. But they're either extremely elusive or very low in numbers, as in 11 years in the Hakuba Valley, I've yet to see one… excluding, of course, the three new ones just up the street from Morino Lodge.
That's right, the cottages formerly known as Aurinko have had a name change and are now called the Big Bear Chalets.
They're still in the same great location – in the heart of beautiful Wadano – and you can expect the same great service and all the comforts and amenities that make them one of Hakuba's very best self-contained accommodation options.
They're filling up for the 2011/12 ski season but still have some availability in the early season and in February and March.
Big Bear has it going on!
