US tourist arrested after accidentally bringing gun into Japan

Japanese police said they have arrested a US tourist after he reported that he had accidentally brought a handgun into the country. Police said the 73-year-old told cruise ship staff that he had a gun in his baggage after boarding a vessel at Kobe Port in Japan on 23rd March.

Police arrested the tourist after finding a revolver in his suitcase. The man entered Japan through Kansai Airport on March 22 after departing the US state of Hawaii. He told investigators that the gun was for self-defense and that he had packed it into his suitcase by mistake.

The man also explained that he threw away bullets at a Kobe Port terminal because he thought possessing both a gun and ammunition would lead to more serious charges. They say three bullets were found in a trash can in a restroom at the terminal.