Tokyo police have arrested a man on suspicion of obstruction of traffic after he set a fire at the Shibuya scramble crossing — the iconic intersection of the entertainment district.
The police say they received a report shortly after 9 p.m. on Friday that someone had poured liquid from a plastic bottle at the crossing and set it on fire with a lighter.
The fire spread across approximately one square meter of the intersection. Police officers and others rushed to the site and put out the flames using fire extinguishers.
Police say no injuries have been confirmed so far.
The suspect left the scene, but police later arrested a man in his 50s who turned himself in, saying he had just caused a fire at the crossing. The suspect lives in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, and claims to be a painter.
A piece of cardboard with a written message was left behind at the scene. Tokyo police are investigating the incident.
AloJapan.com