Man’s late-night bathroom trip takes terrifying turn – he realizes he’s not alone in there

A security guard in Japan recently had a scary encounter in a public toilet. He had to kick a bear away to save his life. This incident is part of a record-breaking number of bear attacks happening in Japan this fall, with many occurring in populated areas.

According to The Guardian, the attack happened in Gunma prefecture, just north of Tokyo, early Friday morning. The 69-year-old guard was about to leave a building near a closed railway station when he saw the animal looking inside. The bear was between 1 to 1.5 meters long.

The man fell backward right away and had to fight off the large animal by kicking his legs until the bear ran away. He got minor injuries on his right leg but managed to run to a nearby police station to report what happened.

Japan faces its worst bear attack crisis in recorded history

This attack shows a serious crisis happening across Japan. Since April, 13 people have died in bear attacks, which is the highest number ever recorded. The total number of attacks reached 197 during that time, also a record high. Most attacks happened in the northeast, especially in Akita, Iwate, and Fukushima.

Experts believe 2025 will likely break the previous record of 219 attacks set in the year starting April 2024. The bears are coming into towns because they’re hungry. Poor crops of acorns and beechnuts in their natural habitats are forcing them to search for food in residential areas. This isn’t the first time dangerous animals have appeared in bathrooms, as people have faced other scary encounters in these spaces.

The government is taking serious action to control the problem. They sent members of the self-defense forces to Akita to help local hunters trap and kill the animals. Armed police officers are now allowed to shoot the bears because there aren’t enough licensed hunters available.

Making things worse, fake AI-generated videos are spreading online and adding to public fear. This week, a local government in northeast Japan had to apologize after posting an AI image on social media. The image showed a large bear standing on a road at night to promote awareness. Such incidents remind us of other bathroom-related confrontations people have faced, though those involved different kinds of unwanted encounters.

Officials deleted the post after the creator told them the photo was completely fake. This hurt public trust when people need accurate information. One official said they caused anxiety and inconvenience to residents. It shows that even during real threats, you can’t always trust what you see online.