Tabio Corp. Chairperson Naomasa Ochi is seen in this Jan. 23, 2012, file photo taken in Osaka's Naniwa Ward. (Mainichi/Yusuke Komatsu)

       (Mainichi)

       NARA -- The founder of an established sock shop chain and his wife died after being hit by a truck in the west Japan town of Koryo, Nara Prefecture, where they lived, on Jan. 6.

       Naomasa Ochi, 82, chairperson of Osaka-based Tabio Corp., which operates the "Kutsushitaya" sock shop chain and other brands internationally, and his wife Reiko, 71, were struck by the light vehicle as they were crossing a municipal road on foot at around 6:25 p.m., and were later confirmed dead in hospital.

       Nara Prefectural Police's Kashiba Police Station arrested the driver, Hiroaki Deguchi, 45, a corporate employee from the neighboring town of Tawaramoto, early on the morning of Jan. 7 on suspicion of negligent driving causing death. Deguchi has reportedly admitted to the allegations and was quoted as telling police, "I neglected to check if it was safe in front of me and hit them."

       According to the police station, the accident site is on a straight road with two lanes on both sides with a good view, and had no crosswalk.

       According to Tabio's website, Ochi founded the business in 1968, and the company operates more than 250 shops across Japan as well as in the United Kingdom, France, China and Taiwan.

       (Japanese original by Tatsuo Murase, Nara Bureau)

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