Arab News Japan
TOKYO: A man has been arrested after throwing an explosive device towards Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio as he was about to make a campaign speech in Wakayama Prefecture in the west of Japan.
Kishida was unhurt and was evacuated to safety. The incident happened around 11:25 a.m. on Saturday morning.
MOTEGI Toshimitsu, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, commented, “I spoke with the prime minister, but he was not injured. It is extremely regrettable that such a violent act took place during the election period, which is the foundation of democracy. I apologize.”
A 24-year-old man, named as Ryuzo Kimura, was arrested for “forcible obstruction of business,” a catch-all preliminary charge that Japanese police often use before adding further charges. The object appeared to be a smoke bomb, but it resulted in a loud explosion while Kishida was at Saikazaki fishing port in the prefecture. Reports say Kimura had two devices in his possession.
Kishida was there to support the by-election for the House of Representatives Wakayama District 1. There were over 200 people in the audience. Witnesses said the prime minister was about to sample seafood at a fishing port and stand in front of an audience with an LDP candidate. At this time, a 15-centimeter-long silver smoke flare was thrown.
The Prime Minister was immediately surrounded by security guards and evacuated from the scene.
In July last year, former Prime Minister ABE Shinzo was shot and killed with a home-made gun while making a campaign speech in Nara, prompting the National Police Agency to revise its guarding of VIPs.
