TOKYO -- A runaway Shiba Inu was safely captured on a highway near Tokyo on April 29, thanks to cooperation from drivers and holidaymakers amid Japan's Golden Week holiday.

At around 11 a.m., a caller reported a dog running loose on the outbound lane of the Daisan-Keihin Road near the Tamagawa Toll Gate in Kawasaki's Takatsu Ward, close to the Tama River. Kanagawa Prefectural Police's highway unit rushed to the scene and reportedly spotted the male dog running away down the road.

Shunsuke Omi, a 29-year-old from Tokyo heading to a concert in Shizuoka Prefecture with his band members, told the Mainichi Shimbun, "When I saw an electric board sign warning of an animal intrusion, I thought, 'It can't be a wild animal in an urban area like this.' Then I saw a Shiba Inu loitering around. It was a heartwarming sight."

According to police and witnesses, the male dog was wearing a collar but had no leash or identification tag. Its owner remains unknown. Though it wasn't barking, the dog seemed frightened by the passing vehicles. "The dog appeared quite wary of people trying to capture it," Omi said.

Before police arrived, several drivers stopped their vehicles on the roadside and attempted to catch the dog, while cars behind them apparently stopped and watched the scene unfold.

A 31-year-old man who assisted in the capture recalled noticing many leaves stuck to the dog's body. "I wonder if it had run away from a riverbed and strayed onto the highway. It was excited, and a police officer was bitten on the hand when they reached out (to the dog)," he told the Mainichi.

After being surrounded by five to six people, the dog was finally taken into police "custody" approximately 20 minutes after the initial emergency call. A highway patrol officer wearing a helmet successfully lured the animal and carried it to the backseat of a patrol car. The dog was then "taken away" to the nearby Tsuzuki Police Station.

Reflecting on the incident, the 31-year-old added, "Even though I was a bit behind schedule, it made me smile. The drivers around me also appeared to be shrugging it off."

A highway police unit representative commented, "The Shiba Inu is a male, but its age is unknown. There were no injuries to our personnel. There are cases of raccoon dogs popping up in mountainous areas, but I've never heard of a dog running along Daisan-Keihin Road in an urban area before."

Prefectural police say they are currently searching for the dog's owner.

(Japanese original by Shota Harumashi, Tokyo City News Department)