The 22-year-old Vietnamese national apologized and told police that he discharged the repellant unintentionally in the incident on Wednesday in the central city of Nagoya, the reports said.
The man, named as Huynh Nhat Duy, was nonetheless arrested on Thursday on suspicion of obstruction of business, police spokesman Kenji Goto told AFP.
"Eight people felt sick, and of those, five were sent to hospital. But there was no report of serious injuries or illness," fire department official Ryohei Asano told AFP.
A brown bear walks along a road in Shari, Hokkaido, Japan in September 2023. Photo by AFP
At least five people have been killed by bears in Japan since April 1 after a record 13 deaths last fiscal year.
