Bread Mystery in Tottori: Police are investigating 39 kg of bread dumped along roadsides in Daisen-Oki National Park, after rumors spread online linking it to rising bear encounters; no poison or bait equipment was found. AI for Peace Education: Japan is testing an AI “testimony response” system that lets people simulate questions with atomic bomb survivors using prerecorded video, with full rollout planned for fiscal 2026. Minimum Wage Pressure: Akita’s minimum wage hike sparked backlash from businesses, delaying implementation by six months as prefectures compete to retain workers. Lunar Time Race: Japan and other countries are pushing for a unified lunar time standard as Moon missions ramp up around 2030, with a Paris conference set to tackle the measurement rules. Health Tech Watch: Japanese researchers report AI can detect hypertension and diabetes from facial videos in seconds, while other teams train eye-scan AI for dementia risk. Weather & Safety: A special heavy rain warning in Fukui urged evacuations for about 244,000 people, even after the alert level was lowered. Retail Move: Uniqlo plans to shift from standardized shopping-center stores to more flagship outlets in major urban areas. Defense Ties: Belgium says it will deepen communications and information-sharing with Japan, including a new Tokyo defense attaché. Japan-Asia Sports: Qatar will send 243 athletes to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, and Japan begins FIBA qualifiers against Qatar with Rui Hachimura and others.