A 72-year-old man in the town of Nishine, Iwate Prefecture, died Sunday morning after being struck by lightning while taking a morning stroll during a thunderstorm, local police said.
The man was identified as Umakichi Endo, a company executive. Police said he had apparently been walking atop a river embankment with his dog while holding an umbrella at around 8 a.m.
Since Endo's umbrella was broken into pieces, investigators said they believe it was struck by lightning. They were looking into the specific cause of death.