According to police, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan was safely evacuated on Saturday from the site where he was scheduled to give a speech and shortly before an explosion was heard.
An object was thrown, causing Mr. Kishida to leave. According to the police station in Wakayama, the western Japanese city where the incident happened, the prime minister was removed from the area at the time of the explosion. Police said it was not clear what the explosive device was but caused no damage or serious injuries.
Video released by national broadcaster NHK on Saturday shows police officers, a security detail and what appears to be members of the public handling the man police believe to be a suspect. offense. The man carrying a gray and black backpack, wearing beige pants, black Adidas sneakers and a blue jacket, appeared to be struggling as police and security personnel half pulled, half carry him from the scene.
NHK footage showed billowing white smoke rising from a spot near the fishing port, where supporters had gathered early Saturday morning to await the prime minister’s arrival.
Mr. Kishida was scheduled to give a cryptic speech in support of a lower house candidate from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party running in a special election.
A police department spokesman in Wakayama said Saturday that a suspect has been arrested in the case and is in custody. According to the driver’s license that police believe belongs to the suspect, he is 24 years old and his surname is Kimura.
More about Japan
- A lonely cry for action: Hideji Suzuki served six years in prison in China on espionage charges. Since returning home, he tried to sound the alarm about China’s seemingly arbitrary detention of Japanese nationals.
- Geothermal energy: Japan’s abundant geothermal energy could play a major role in displacing the nation’s coal, gas or nuclear power plants. But the owners of hot spring resorts getting in the way.
- strawberries in winter: The strawberry crop in Japan peaks in winter thanks to giant greenhouses and fireplaces. But this off-season farming there is a large environmental cost.
- Animal cafe: The country’s exotic animal cafes are popular with locals and tourists alike. But a survey published earlier this year pointed to the risks these sites pose for wildlife conservation, public health and animal welfare.
Less than a year ago, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead during a campaign speech in Nara, a city not far from Wakayama, destabilizing a society where gun violence is rare.
Separate video on NHK shows the suspect on Saturday holding a small gray box just before a loud explosion was heard.
Mr. Kishida was taken to the police station in Wakayama shortly after he was evacuated from the scene of the explosion. Speaking outside the city’s main train station just over an hour after the incident, he apologized to supporters and vowed to continue campaigning.
“We are holding an important election for our country and we must work together with all of you to get through it,” he said.
Toshimitsu Motegi, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, said it was “outrageous” that the incident happened “during the election period, which is the foundation of democracy.” Mr. Abe was killed two days ago a general election last July.
ABOVE TwitterLiberal Democratic Party and Mr. Kishida said he will continue to deliver campaign speeches as scheduled later in the day.
Mr. Kishida’s vow to continue his schedule was the same as that of former Japanese emperor Akihito, who did not suspend events during his visit to Okinawa as crown prince in 1975 after a protester. throw a Molotov cocktail at the emperor and his wife.
On Saturday, social media went viral with a video showing a man wearing a red long-sleeve shirt and a black and white snowflake print vest appearing to restrain the suspect before police or officers security can reach him. “The old men at the fishing port are more agile and helpful than the Special Police,” one person commented.
Political analysts say Japan’s sense of public safety could be shaken by more incidents like this, which occurred relatively soon after Mr. Abe’s assassination. “Many people believe that Japanese society is very safe,” said Tsuneo Watanabe, a senior research fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Tokyo. “But I don’t think that will be taken for granted.”
In Japan, political campaigns tend to be relatively loose events in which members of the public are allowed access to candidates.
If such incidents continue, security officials may have to become more vigilant and wary, said Robert Dujarric, co-director of the Institute of Contemporary Studies at Temple University’s Tokyo campus. copyists.
“In any country, there are always people who have personal disagreements or psychological problems or belong to a political group that is extremely opposed to something that politician does,” Mr. Dujarric said. “And once it’s done once, you say, ‘Why don’t we try again?’ “
