Japanese man accused of stealing bus signs

OSAKA, Japan, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Authorities in Japan said they arrested a bus enthusiast accused of stealing the vehicle signs that tell the destinations and names of bus lines.

Yodogawa police said Naoki Murata, 36, was arrested Thursday on charges of breaking into the Hankyu Bus office in Osaka in March and stealing two of the rollsigns, worth $6,062, The Mainichi reported Friday.

Police said they found more than 1,000 bus related items belonging to various bus companies inside Murata's Hirakata home, including more rollsigns and push buttons for bus stop requests. Murata told officers he is a bus enthusiast and has been taking the objects since he was teenager.

Murata was arrested following an investigation into online auctions he posted for rollsigns he didn't need for his collection. He allegedly told officers his goal had been to collect the rollsigns for every local bus route.