Police are investigating a possible attempted murder after a man whose body was aflame rushed into an electronics store in the city of Sakai in Osaka on Monday.

The man, in his 40s, suffered burns all over his body but is conscious, the police said. Police are also looking for a middle-aged woman witnessed leaving the scene in a car.

Investigators said witnesses saw the man and the woman in a white car and later noticed the smell of burning from the car as it left the scene. A car resembling the one the two were spotted in was found about 100 to 200 meters away from the scene with burns on the driver's seat, the police said.

The owner of the store said no customers were present when the man entered.

"He was screaming and started taking off his clothes, so I desperately tried to put out the fire by pouring water with a bucket," the owner said. "I'm glad the fire didn't spread to my whole store."