A 30-year-old woman suffered severe burns to her face and shoulder early Wednesday after a man poured a corrosive chemical on her in Nakano Ward, Tokyo, police said.
The attacker, described as a man about 20 years old, fled after the assault, which took place shortly after midnight on a street corner in the Yayoicho district, police said.
The victim told investigators the attacker was holding a mobile phone to his ear while he approached and suddenly splashed the corrosive liquid on her face and body.
The woman was on her way home.
Police said the liquid, which was not identified, burned through her clothes.
After the attack, the woman sought help at a nearby restaurant and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.