Japan govt spokesman confirms Japanese man detained in Myanmar

A Japanese government spokesman confirmed on Monday that a Japanese man has been detained in Myanmar and said the government is calling for his release as soon as possible.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara told a news conference that a Japanese man in his 20s who had been filming a demonstration on July 30 had been detained and that the Japanese embassy in Myanmar was pressing the government for his release.

He did not give a name, but local media reports have said named the man as documentary filmmaker Toru Kubota.