Tourists are invited to feed them apples. They are all pacing back and forth along the 2-3 meter widths of their cages.

heading towards the onsen you pass at least a half dozen bears trapped in very small, uninspiring cages. Try to walk through the hotel after checking out? Forget it. Check out by 10, or it's $20 per person, per hour if you stay longer. The hotel is quite traditionally Japanese, and has all the wonderful courtesy and warm service you would expect, but also has the very traditional rigidness that comes along with it. Unforgettable to soak in the hot water by the river while the snow falls on you. We were lucky enough to arrive in the springtime and then have snow overnight. Beautiful room over the river, a spectacular outdoor onsen, great food. We booked in on a whim and the weekend was a dream. In any case, the prominent display for tourists, and the awful nature of their cages defy.

In addition, the keeper mentioned that they steal food from farmers and risk being shot for it. The surrounding woods are a hunting area and I suppose this was what they've been rescued from. Due to my poor Japanese understanding, I can only guess at the details of the explanation I was being given, but it was something like these bears having been 'rescued' as babies.

The horrible bear