AI Fake Bear Image Prompts Safety Alerts in Miyagi Town

Nov 27, 2025 | News On Japan

MIYAGI, Nov 27, 2025 (News On Japan) - Onagawa in Miyagi Prefecture issued a warning on social media after receiving what was believed to be a photo of a bear spotted in town, but the image was later revealed to be a fake created with generative AI.

The photo showed a large bear walking along a road in the Ogawa district on November 25th, submitted to the town office by a resident who claimed to have taken it. The metal cover visible in the photo appeared bent, prompting concern, but when officials inspected the location they found the cover perfectly intact. Onagawa posted the image on its official SNS accounts to alert residents, only to be informed later by the same resident that the picture had been created using AI.

A nearby nursery school temporarily stopped allowing children to play outside, and the town broadcast warnings through its disaster-prevention loudspeaker system in response to the supposed sighting.

A resident living near the mountains said they had been genuinely alarmed, noting that “I really wondered what to do, and when I heard it was a fake created like this, I felt anger rising inside me.”

Onagawa stated it will strengthen its verification procedures, including checking the authenticity of submitted information, and will work to ensure accurate communication going forward.

Source: 日テレNEWS

'Most Dangerous Storm of the Year' Approaches Kanto

Typhoon No. 25 was closing in on the Kanto region on September 21 while maintaining strong intensity, with the large storm estimated at 2 p.m. to be passing through the southern Izu Islands between Hachijojima and Miyakejima and moving northeast at 25 kilometers per hour, raising the risk of record rainfall and disaster-level winds across Kanto and the Izu Islands as leisure and commercial facilities temporarily closed in preparation for worsening conditions.

Typhoon Causes Widespread Transport Disruption Across Kanto

Transport disruption across eastern Japan intensified through the afternoon of September 21 as large and strong Typhoon No. 25 approached Kanto, with at least 275 ANA and Japan Airlines flights canceled, more than 100 cancellations at Narita Airport, conventional rail services suspended across parts of Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures, and extensive expressway closures affecting routes around Tokyo and the Boso Peninsula.

Japan's Elderly Population Hits Record 29.6%

People aged 65 and older accounted for a record 29.6% of Japan's population in 2026, the highest proportion among major countries worldwide, while the number of elderly people in employment also reached an all-time high as Japan marked Respect for the Aged Day on September 21.

Emperor and Empress Watch Asian Games Basketball

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako watched Japan defeat Kazakhstan in a women’s basketball preliminary-round game at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya.

Drone Hits Nagoya City Hall During Asian Games Light-Up

A drone filming the illuminated Nagoya City Hall headquarters crashed into a building across the road shortly before 9 p.m. on September 17, with police investigating whether the flight may have violated Japan's Civil Aeronautics Act.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Web3 NEWS

Physical AI Robot Aims to Fully Automate Household Chores

Japanese technology company MW is developing a home equipped with artificial intelligence and ceiling-mounted robots designed to automate household chores, with the goal of freeing people from the roughly four hours a day that can be spent on domestic work.

Modernizing Payment Gateways for APAC Cross-Border Merchants

Cross-border trade across Asia-Pacific keeps expanding, and so does the number of foreign shoppers, tourists, and business travelers that merchants now have to serve.

The Rise of Crypto Online Casinos: What Japan's Growing Audience Wants in 2026

Both cryptocurrency and online casinos have developed huge audiences in Japan. Research from 2025 estimated that more than three million adults have wagered online, while Japan also has an established crypto sector that is supported by millions of exchange accounts.

AI Takes Center Stage at Tokyo Game Show

The Tokyo Game Show, one of the world's largest gaming exhibitions, opened with a record 1,138 exhibitors as companies from a growing range of industries seek a foothold in Japan's expanding gaming market, with artificial intelligence emerging as one of the main attractions this year.

AI Deepfakes Behind Fake Police Scams

Police are warning of a nationwide surge in scams involving criminals posing as officers, with evidence emerging that generative AI may now be used to create fake identities during video calls and make the deception more convincing.

Humanoid Robot Brings AI Into the Classroom

High school students in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, explored how humans and artificial intelligence might coexist in the future by interacting with an AI-powered humanoid robot during a class on September 11.

AI Imaging Aims to Reduce Missed Cancer Diagnoses

A medical institution opening in Nagoya's Showa Ward in October will use artificial intelligence-enhanced PET-CT and MRI equipment to produce clearer images and reduce the risk of cancer being overlooked during diagnostic examinations.

Why Are Data Centers Being Built Near Homes?

The rapid spread of generative artificial intelligence is fueling construction of data centers across Japan, but plans for two large facilities beside a residential neighborhood in Minoh, Osaka Prefecture, are raising concerns over sunlight, noise and low-frequency sound as authorities confront gaps in rules governing the increasingly important infrastructure.

< 2 3 4 5 >