TOKYO, April 15 (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was unharmed after a suspect threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb at an outdoor speech in western Japan on Saturday.
Kishida took cover after hearing a loud explosion as police subdued a man at the scene, Japanese media footage showed. One police officer suffered minor injuries in the incident, the Nikkei newspaper reported, citing Wakayama prefectural police.
“Police are investigating the details of the loud explosive sound at the previous speech venue,” Kishida said as he continued his campaign speeches. “I am sorry for causing many people to be concerned. We are in the middle of an important election for our country. We must continue this together.”
The incident echoes the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving modern leader, who was shot with a homemade gun in July while campaigning for parliamentary elections.
Abe’s killing shocked the country, where gun crimes are extremely rare, and prompted a security review for politicians, who regularly stand up in public.
Masato Kaburagi, a 35-year-old company worker who witnessed the incident, told Reuters that security still appeared to be lax, as it appeared that the suspect was first flagged down by another bystander.
“I never thought this would happen so soon after what happened to Abe,” said Kaburagi, who attended the rally with his wife and mother. “I don’t think I want to go to political events anymore.”
Regional elections for Japan’s lower house of parliament will be held on April 23.
G7 SUMMIT SECURITY UNCHANGED
[1/5] A man, believed to be a suspect who threw a pipe-like object near Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his speech outside, is held by police officers at the Saikazaki fishing port in Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture, south -west of Japan April 15, 2023, in this image released by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERS
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said police had been ordered to step up security, and the government would do what was necessary to ensure security at a summit Kishida is hosting next month of the Group of Seven industrial powers in Hiroshima.
Japan’s foreign ministry said there would be no change to the security plan for the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting starting Sunday in the resort city of Karuizawa.
Matsuno said the government will wait for the results of the police investigation before commenting on the suspect’s possible motive.
The incident on Saturday morning took place at Saikazaki fishing harbor in Wakayama prefecture, about 65 km (40 miles) southwest of Osaka city.
Kishida was served local specialty seafood before the explosion, media reported. News video showed Kishida looking behind him in shock as screams filled the semi-enclosed area near the waterfront. A canister landed near his feet before a security agent shooed him away.
A man identified by the Asahi newspaper as a fishery cooperative staff held a teenager in a headlock as police swarmed the suspect and dragged him to the ground. About 50 seconds later, an explosion rang out and a cloud of smoke could be seen near where Kishida was standing.
News footage showed people running as several police officers appeared to pin a man to the ground before removing him from the scene. A 20-30 cm (8- to 12-inch) metal pipe was thrown and landed near where Kishida was standing, NHK reported, citing an official at the scene.
A 24-year-old male suspect from Kawanishi city, charged with forcible obstruction of business, refused to talk until his lawyer arrived, Kyodo news agency said, citing investigators.
A representative of Wakayama prefectural police headquarters told Reuters he could not answer questions about the incident.
A woman at the scene told NHK that she saw something flying overhead and “it gave me a bad feeling, so we quickly ran away. Then we heard a very loud noise. It made my daughter cry .”
Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Christian Schmollinger
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
