Tokyo investigative sources say a man suspected of stealing an expensive gold tea bowl has admitted taking it because the display case was not locked.

Horie Masaru was arrested for allegedly stealing the bowl worth about 10 million yen, or about 65,000 dollars, from the Takashimaya department store in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district last Thursday. The 32-year-old suspect was sent to prosecutors on Monday.

The bowl had been on display in a showcase at an exhibition and sales event featuring golden objects.

The sources say Horie told investigators that he only found out about the event when he was passing the store on Thursday, and thought he could get away with stealing the bowl as its display case was not locked.

Horie reportedly said he went in and out of the exhibition for about 30 minutes after stealing the bowl, thinking he could take other items.

Investigators learned that Horie sold the bowl to a resale store in Tokyo for about 12,000 dollars.

The bowl was then reportedly found and seized on Monday at another resale store in Tokyo.