Japanese police say they have arrested a US tourist after he reported that he had accidentally brought a handgun into the country.



Police say the 73-year-old told cruise ship staff that he had a gun in his baggage after boarding a vessel at Kobe Port in western Japan on March 23.



Police arrested the tourist after finding a revolver in his suitcase. They say he violated Japan's firearms control law.



The man entered Japan through Kansai Airport on March 22 after departing the US state of Hawaii.



Police say he told investigators that the gun was for self-defense and that he had packed it into his suitcase by mistake. He said he realized it while staying at a hotel in Osaka.



According to police, the man also explained that he threw away bullets at a Kobe Port terminal because he thought possessing both a gun and ammunition would lead to more serious charges. They say three bullets were found in a trash can in a restroom at the terminal.



Police believe the man passed through security checks at both the Hawaiian airport and Kansai Airport with the handgun in his suitcase.