Japanese police rescued four hostages from a bank Friday and arrested the knife-wielding man who had held them captive for more than 12 hours while demanding the prime minister resign, officials said.

In a televised news conference, a police spokesman said the hostage-taker, identified as Koji Nagakubo, was arrested on suspicion of taking a total of five people captive, including one person whom he had released earlier.

All the hostages were safe and in protective custody following the pre-dawn police raid, the spokesman said, though local media reported one of them -- a 19-year-old female bank employee -- was slightly injured.

The 32-year-old man began the siege Thursday afternoon at the Zoshi branch of the Toyokawa Shinkin Bank in the otherwise quiet residential area of Toyokawa city in central Aichi prefecture.

Wielding a survival knife, he took four employees and a female customer captive and demanded the cabinet of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda step down, local media said. Noda last week called an election for December 16, which he is expected to lose.

In initial questioning by police, the suspect admitted the allegations but had yet to give details about his motive, public broadcaster NHK reported.

About 13 hours after the incident began, police wearing protective gear and carrying shields rushed the office before dawn, overpowered the man and escorted out the remaining four hostages.

"It was difficult to check inside, but we took action placing top priority on the safety of the hostages," an investigator told NHK. "We believe we took the best possible way."

Television footage showed a dozen police breaking the window on the second floor before moving to the ground floor, where the man pointed his knife at the hostages.

The man, who also held another knife, handcuffed at least one of the hostages, NHK said, adding that all police involved in the rescue operation were also unhurt.

"I was so relieved because no one was (seriously) injured," one neighbor told Tokyo Broadcasting System Television.

Television footage earlier showed a man who appeared to be a police officer carrying a megaphone and a plastic bag to a side door of the building guarded by police. The building's shutters were down but lights could be seen inside.

Shortly before the incident, a man police believe was the hostage-taker had attempted to break in another bank just 150 meters away from the site, NHK reported. (AFP)

<관련 한글 기사>

인질극 벌이며 ‘정권교체 요구’한 괴한!

일본의 한 은행에서 노다 요시히코 총리의 퇴진을 요구하며 인질극을 벌인 괴한이 체포되었다고 일본의 NHK 방송 등 외신이 23일 보도했다.

경찰 측 대변인인 기자회견을 통해 아이치 현 도요가와 시의 한 은행에서 5명을 인질로 잡고 농성하던 코지 나가쿠보 (32)가 체포되었으며 모든 인질들이 구출되었다고 밝혔다.

현지 언론에 따르면 경찰은 일출 전에 은행을 습격해 인질들을 구출했으며, 한 은행 여직원이 경상을 입기는 했지만 다른 인질들은 무사하다고 한다.

나가쿠보는 22일 오후 해당 흉기를 지니고 난입해 여성 손님과 직원 4명을 인질로 잡았다. 그는 노다 총리를 포함한 현 정권이 당장 사임할 것을 요구했다.

그는 체포 직후 혐의를 인정했으나 구체적인 동기에 대해서는 입을 다물고 있다고 NHK는 보도했다.