The victim, a 22-year-old Leading Seaman stationed at the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force base in Yokosuka, told police a man had attacked him, tied his hands, stuffed a towel in his mouth and dumped him alongside the wooded road.

Suspecting the man had been mugged and kidnapped, the police launched an immediate investigation into the incident. However, as the police questioned the victim, their suspicions began to grow when they realized he had suffered no injuries, his clothing appeared tidy, his hands had been tied in front of his body (as opposed to behind his back), and his feet had not been bound. As the questioning became more pointed, the man finally broke down and confessed. “My subordinates at work don’t listen to what I say,” he said. “I hate going to work, so I staged the whole thing.”