With bear attacks in Japan becoming more serious, numerous events across the country have been affected this fall, some being canceled altogether.

Tourist destinations entering the autumn foliage season are also advancing countermeasures under heightened security.

"We've never had so many reports of bear sightings. There's a higher sense of danger now," says a representative of Naruko Spa Tourist Association in Osaki, Miyagi Prefecture.

The local Naruko Gorge is known as a spot to enjoy autumnal colors and should now be at its busiest, but with multiple reports of bears, the city has issued its first-ever "bear sighting emergency declaration." Tourist numbers are lower than a typical year and some traditional Japanese inns say guests are canceling their reservations.

The representative confessed, "All we're able to do is inform people of precautions like not walking alone and urge them to 'be extremely careful.' We are really at a loss when asked if it's really safe."

The prefectural police are also spreading awareness, deploying patrol cars and broadcasting bear warnings via loudspeakers in four languages including English and Chinese.

In Fukushima Prefecture's Urabandai area, where the autumn leaves are now at their best, queries from tourists are continuous. The Kitashiobara Municipal Government is using social media to urge people to be cautious while also lending out bear bells, erecting warning signs written in both English and Japanese and distributing pamphlets outlining countermeasures, which they're considering making available in multiple languages.

In Akita Prefecture, 54 people have been attacked by bears since April, prompting the deployment of the Ground Self-Defense Forces to assist in capturing them.

Known as a lush nature spot, Senshu Park in the center of the city of Akita has been deserted this year. Following repeated bear sightings, the city eventually restricted entry starting Oct. 26. The ban was lifted just after 10 a.m. on Nov. 4 after two bears were captured on the premises using cage traps but was reenforced in the afternoon when another bear sighting was reported.

Bear activity also caused the cancellation of an autumn foliage light-up event in the Shirakawa-go settlement, a World Heritage site in central Japan's Gifu Prefecture known for its traditional Gassho-style houses.

(Japanese original by Maki Kihara and Yoshitake Matsuura, Tokyo City News Department, and Rikka Teramachi, Lifestyle, Science & Environment News Department)