A man with gunshot wounds to the face was found dead early Wednesday morning in the city of Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, according to local police.
A woman reported finding the man lying bleeding on a gravel road in her neighborhood, police said, adding the man, who appeared to have been shot in the left cheek, was already dead when investigators arrived. Several empty cartridges were found near the body, they said.
The victim appeared to be in his 20s and was wearing an orange V-neck sweater and navy jeans.
Local residents reported hearing three or four bangs that sounded like gunshots.