Police in Hiroshima on Wednesday arrested the 62-year-old mayor of Satte town in Saitama Prefecture on suspicion of assault after he punched a female bar employee.

According to police, Kunio Watanabe, who had come to Hiroshima to take part in Tuesday's ceremony marking the 74th anniversary of the city’s atomic bombing, was in the bar in Naka Ward alone at around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday when the incident occurred. There was one other female employee in the bar at the time.

Watanabe is accused of punching the 20-year-old woman in the face several times. He was quoted by police as saying he was drunk and doesn’t remember punching the woman and can’t understand how he could have done such a thing.

Watanabe was elected mayor in 2011 and is currently serving his second term. He and the woman did not know each other, police said.

© Japan Today