Tottori - A series of mysterious illegal dumping incidents involving about 39 kilograms of sliced bread has been reported around Mount Daisen and other parts of Tottori Prefecture in August, with officials investigating whether the food may have been deliberately placed to attract wild animals.
The incidents first came to attention along a mountain road near Mount Daisen, the highest peak in the Chugoku region.
Around mid-August, approximately 16.7 kilograms of bread was found discarded beside the road.
Nobuhiro Ito of the Tottori branch of the Natural Parks Foundation said he initially did not realize the objects were bread. "At first, I thought pieces of square timber had been left there. I was really surprised," he said.
At first, officials considered the possibility that someone had accidentally dropped the bread, but another 6.3 kilograms was discovered the following day.
A further 5.5 kilograms was found the day after that about 500 meters away.
"When it happens three days in a row, it suggests someone is placing it there deliberately," Ito said. "I don't think it is simply a prank."
Bread was found dumped on a total of five days, bringing the combined amount to about 39 kilograms. Chicken liver was also discovered at the sites.
Brown bears had been sighted around Mount Daisen as recently as July, raising concern that the food could have been left to lure animals.
"We cannot say for certain that the purpose was to attract animals, but that is one possibility we are considering," Ito said.
The mystery deepened when similar dumping was discovered about 60 kilometers away in a straight line from Mount Daisen.
At Hakuto Shrine, associated with the legend of the White Rabbit of Inaba, illegal dumping has already been reported three times in its parking lot during August.
A cleaner who discovered the bread said it looked almost identical to what had been found near Mount Daisen.
"There are quite a lot of animals around here too, so I just wondered why anyone would do something like this," the cleaner said.
Visitors to the popular tourist destination also expressed concern. One tourist said, "I don't understand what purpose there could be. It leaves a bad feeling at what is supposed to be a tourist attraction."
Bread has also been found at Hakuto Beach, located close to the shrine.
In an effort to identify clues about where the bread may have come from, samples collected near Mount Daisen were shown to local bakers.
A manager at Bakery & Cafe RUDY said the amount involved was highly unusual and suggested it was unlikely to have been discarded by a commercial bakery.
"Bread like this is not something we normally throw away," the manager said. "Even if it does not sell, it can be turned into French toast, rusks or breadcrumbs the next day, so I don't think it came from a bakery."
After examining bread provided by the Natural Parks Foundation, the manager noted that the sides did not show the spiral-shaped marks typically left by a molder used in mechanized bread production.
"It was probably shaped by hand, placed into a mold and baked," the manager said. "It does not look like it came from a factory."
Komei Nishimura of Koubo Pan Kosajiichi also questioned whether a professional baker would discard such a large quantity of bread.
"Would the person who made the bread really throw it away? I can't imagine it," Nishimura said. "For someone who made bread with care to simply discard it would be almost unthinkable. I want to believe it was not a baker."
Authorities have yet to identify who dumped the bread or determine the motive behind the repeated incidents.
Source: YOMIURI
