Police said the head of a fishermen's union was shot dead Friday, the second fatal shooting in as many days in a nation unaccustomed to gun crime.

Tadayoshi Ueno, 70, was found lying in the street in the southern city of Kitakyushu after residents nearby heard what was believed to be the sound of gunfire.

Local police said he was confirmed dead at hospital, with reports suggesting he had been shot multiple times.

Gun crime is rare in Japan, and incidents involving firearms usually have a connection to organized crime groups.

Ueno, whose family runs a civil engineering company, was previously fired at in front of his house in 1997 but escaped unhurt, Jiji Press news agency said.

However, his brother was shot dead the following year, a crime for which mobsters were arrested, with investigators saying they had targeted him because he refused to give favors in public works projects, Jiji said.

Friday's shooting came the day after the president of a well-known dumpling restaurant chain was shot dead in Kyoto.

© (c) 2013 AFP