Two men made off with some 600,000 yen in cash early Thursday after threatening the owner of a Korean-style barbecue restaurant in the town of Isawa, Yamanashi Prefecture, police said.
The robbery occurred at around 2 a.m., they said.
Restaurant owner Tadayuki Oyamada, 34, was doing paperwork after the restaurant had closed for the night. When he stepped out of the back office to smoke, the pair threatened him with what appeared to be a knife, and one of the men made him open the store's safe and took the money, police said.
No one was injured in the incident.
The men were described as being between 20 and 40 years old and wearing down jackets and black ski masks.
Chiba burglary
CHIBA (Kyodo) A 54-year-old electrician was seriously wounded when he was attacked by a burglar in his home in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, at around 12:50 a.m. Thursday, police said.
Victim Masashi Azuma said he was attacked while he was sleeping in the second-floor bedroom of his home.
The attacker choked Azuma and struck his head with a blunt object, police said, adding that his wallet is missing then proceeded to bind his hands and feet with rope and electrical cords, demanding to know where Azuma's wallet was, police said.
Azuma's head was cut and his right wrist was broken.
Azuma lives with his wife, who was taking a bath at the time of the incident and did not realize what had been going on, police said. Her wallet is missing.
Azuma untied himself and notified police. As the lights were off in the room, he said he could not see his assailant.