Cops in Japan have arrested a British man for littering after he threw the remains of his bento lunch into a postbox, allegedly mistaking it for a bin.

British national Anthony Tanaka was arrested in the eastern Japanese city of Kamakura after he threw his empty bento box and used chopsticks into the postbox on 22nd March.

Police officers arrested Anthony on the spot on the grounds of the Kamakura City Hall for littering, despite his protestations that he thought the postbox was actually a rubbish bin.

According to Japanese media, the Kamakura Police Station has dealt with seven similar complaints in recent years, three of which involved the postbox involved in the latest incident.

According to the Kamakura Post Office, over 150 letters have been tarnished by food waste due to these recent infractions.

Under Japanese law, individuals found guilty of damaging post can receive up to five years imprisonment or a maximum fine of JPY 500,000 (GBP 3,348).

According to Japanese media, the police are currently investigating the suspect to determine if he was also behind any of the previous seven incidents.

Postboxes in Japan are clearly marked with the English word “post” written in capital letters.

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