A couple foragers ended up in a hairy situation out in Japan -- speeding down the road in a forest when a bear attacked their car, cracking their window ... and it's all on camera.

Check out this wild footage out out of Hokkaido last week ... the car's driving along on what appears to be a designated road -- when, suddenly, a bear comes barreling out of nowhere, running top speed at the car and making contact.

It's easy to forget how big the lumbering creatures can move, but the video's a stark reminder -- 'cause the wild animal covers a sizable distance in seconds before bringing down its heavy paws repeatedly on the windshield, smashing it to bits.

The driver makes the only move they can ... putting the pedal to the metal and taking off down the winding dirt road as quickly as they can -- with the windshield clearly busted up.

According to local reports, both the driver and passenger in the car were uninjured ... and a wildlife expert told some local outlets the car may accidentally have gotten between the mom and her cub, leading to all the commotion.

Bear attacks happen for these reasons sporadically it seems ... remember, back in 2022  a climber was coming off Mt. Futago in Japan when a black bear ran at him -- seemingly protecting its cub as well. The climber fought it off with a series of kicks and punches.