The northernmost occurrence of this bear is the Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture, but the beech forest in Shirakami Sanchi provides a more stable habitat. The bear eats a variety of food depending on the season: the leaves of beeches and shoots of Fukinotou (Petasites japonicus) in spring, flowers and ants in summer, and a large number of bees and other insects in autumn. It hibernates for several months when the mountains are enveloped in snow. The picture on the right shows scars left on a beech trunk by the claws of an Asian black bear.