A man stormed into a post office in Tokyo's Koto Ward before it opened Friday morning, threatening to set fire to the building before making off with about 1.6 million yen, nearly all of which was recovered after he dropped it nearby, police said.
The police said no one was injured in the incident and that about 1.4 million yen of the stolen money was found near the post office.
According to investigators, the robber, who appeared to be about 50 years old, approached the post office and posed as a customer intending to make a withdrawal.
When a 44-year-old female employee opened the door, the man pushed his way inside and poured what appeared to be gasoline out of a plastic drink bottle. He then demanded money and threatened to set fire to the liquid, the police said.
The employee, one of five in the office at the time, handed over money from a portable cash box and the man fled on a bicycle, they said.
Police said the suspect, about 160 cm tall, was wearing a dark blue cap, a light blue shirt with short sleeves and gray pants. His face was covered by a white gauze mask.