The government said Wednesday it is investigating a possible defect in Apple Inc.'s iPod after a reported case of sparks shooting from one of the popular digital portable players while recharging.
An official at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry overseeing product problems said a defect in the lithium-ion battery is suspected in the iPod Nano, model number MA099J/A.
The problem, which surfaced in Kanagawa Prefecture in January, was reported to the ministry by Apple in March, according to the official. No one was injured, he said.
The ministry has instructed Apple Japan to find out the cause of what it is categorizing as a fire linked to the iPod, and Apple must report back to the government.
Lithium-ion batteries have been blamed for a series of blazes in laptops recently that have resulted in massive global recalls.
The ministry said about 425,000 iPods of the same suspected model were shipped to Japan by Apple.