Police in Toride, Ibaraki Prefecture, said Thursday they are questioning a 36-year-old man over an incident on Wednesday morning in which a 47-year-old man was shot in the calf by an arrow from a crossbow as he was riding his bike home.

Police said the suspect, who is unemployed, was arrested Wednesday afternoon for assaulting a 58-year-old man last month. A search of his home Wednesday night turned up a crossbow and six arrows exactly like the one that hit the cyclist, Fuji TV quoted police as saying.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 2 a.m. Wednesday. The victim was riding his bicycle home from Toride Station when his right calf was pierced by an arrow fired from a crossbow, Fuji reported.

The man said a white sedan passed him slowly just before he felt the pain of the arrow. He was able to make it home where his wife called police. His injury will take about two weeks to heal, a hospital spokesperson said.

The arrow was 40 cms long and 8 mm in diameter, police said.

Police said crossbows are not covered under the Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law and are often sold online, making it difficult to track who is buying them.

© Japan Today