Police in Kyoto have arrested a 32-year-old man for assaulting a 13-year-old boy whom he accused of laughing at him.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 12:20 p.m. Sunday near the escalator in a building in Kyoto Station. TV Asahi reported that the suspect, Kento Yoshii, approached the boy who was chatting loudly with his friends and slapped him three times.

Yoshii, who is a part-time newspaper deliveryman, was quoted by police as saying he got upset because he thought the boys were laughing at him.

The boy was not seriously injured, police said.

© Japan Today