Overview

• A man in his 30s reported striking a bear at around 6:40 p.m. on July 31 on the uphill line of the Chugoku Expressway and sustained a minor wrist injury.
• Yamaguchi Prefectural Police found an adult bear crouching near the central divider and closed the uphill Yamaguchi IC–Shikano IC and downhill Shikano IC–Tokuji IC sections at 7:30 p.m.
• Authorities deemed a nighttime capture too hazardous and planned to secure the bear at first light after consulting with Yamaguchi City officials.
• The bear was confirmed dead around 5:30 a.m. on August 1 and removed shortly before traffic restrictions were lifted at 6:25 a.m.
• The prolonged closure disrupted overnight travel on the Chugoku Expressway before normal traffic resumed at dawn.