Vietnamese man in Japan beaten, body found in river

In a statement sent to the Consulate General of Vietnam in Japan, Osaka police said the incident was discovered Monday night near the pedestrian riverside area at Ebisu Bridge crossing Dotonbori River in Chuo Ward of Osaka City.

Rescue guards had rushed to take him to hospital though he died later the same night.

The victim's roommate confirmed police had come to his home to collect his belongings to serve the investigation.

The Consulate General has worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Osaka Prefectural Police Agency, requesting the perpetrator be caught and brought to trial soon.

Japanese media reported police had arrived after being informed and recovered the victim's body after 20 minutes.

The suspect is a young Japanese man who had fled after committing the crime, they said.

A male student in his 20s who was a witness said he saw a Japanese group and a foreign group that "appeared to be drunk and argued violently."

After that, a Japanese man punched, then kicked the foreigner into the river, and even threw a bottle at him when he tried to come up.

According to NHK, the number of Vietnamese people living in Japan has trebled over the past five years. The figure now stands at over 300 thousand.

A total 74 percent are students and technical intern trainees who come to the country to acquire advanced skills to take home, it said.