The sole Japanese survivor of a fire in an indoor shooting range in Busan, South Korea, that killed 15 people returned to Japan on Thursday.
Masaru Kasahara, 37, who suffered burns over nearly half of his body in the Nov. 14 blaze, has recovered to the point where he can eat and speak, which prompted doctors to give him the nod to go home.
Kasahara left Busan shortly after 9 a.m. and arrived at Fukuoka airport at 11:15 a.m. He was then transferred by helicopter to a hospital in Nagasaki, his home prefecture.
A total of 10 Japanese tourists, including eight of Kasahara's former schoolmates, were killed in the fire, which South Korean investigators believe was likely caused by a gunfire spark that ignited flammable materials, including sound-proof sponges and gunpowder.
The owner and the manager of the indoor shooting range were arrested Dec. 2 for allegedly mismanaging the facility.
The families of Kasahara and his friends formed a group Monday to seek compensation from Busan and the South Korean government.
