A plastic container holding a python was found on a passenger platform at JR Urawa Station in Saitama Prefecture early Wednesday, Urawa police said.
The 50-cm-long snake was found in the container, which had air holes, at around 5:15 a.m., police said. The container had been placed under a bench on the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line platform, they said.
The snake appears to be a python, and police opened a search for its owner.
On Sunday, a python of similar size escaped when its owner left it unattended for a while in a park in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, police said.
They are probing to see if the two incidents are related.
Last Friday, a 4-meter python was found near the Kamogawa River in Saitama Prefecture.
Scorpion, the sequel
OSAKA (Kyodo) A 49-year-old man found a scorpion on the balcony of his apartment in Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture, police said Wednesday.
The 10-cm scorpion was captured Tuesday by the man and the building's owner and handed to police, they said.
It is the second scorpion found at that apartment. The first was found inside the unit last Thursday.
Police suspect both belong to the same owner and they either escaped or were dumped.
