This is something that is perhaps not so appropriate to mention in Japan, as there have been a considerable number of bear attacks and sightings in cities and other places, even a supermarket. Perhaps the bears are going on a human hunt, with climate change leading the way into coaxing them to explore places, outside of their living radius.
“We’re going on a bear hunt” is a book that you can find in all three classes at our preschool, as it is a firm favourite with preschool aged children. Over the years, it has been adapted and during the festive season, our resident dance teacher, Maryna, teaches the children a dance to “We’re going on a Santa hunt”. In this dance they go through a swirling whirling snowstorm, they skate across a frozen lake, they hear the jingle bells of reindeer coming, and finally they go into a cave and encounter a polar bear.
In the original they find tall wavy grass, a river, mud, and of course a cave with a ……………….bear inside.
As with everything in life, when researching this subject, there are many fun idiomatic expressions using the word bear. Since I live in Japan, I cannot grin and bear it, when I am hiking, knowing that there are bears around. My bear bell is my greatest friend at these times and it rings a lot louder than the bell around the reindeer’s necks.
