Bitumen futures rose 1.92% to ¥5,304/t — highest gain among listed commodities; JODI shows combined refinery throughput in China, Japan, Korea and India exceeds 27,000 kbpd, yet mid-distillate-heavy product inventories (e.g., diesel, fuel oil) suggest asphalt production is under de-stocking pressure amid tightening road-construction seasonality.