Fumio Kishida, the prime minister of Japan, was evacuated safely on Saturday after a man at a campaign event appeared to throw an explosive device in his direction.
The incident took place as Kishida prepared to speak in support of a candidate for the ruling party in the upcoming elections at a small fishing port in Wakayama, western Japan.
An object that looked like a small metal pipe or canister was thrown by a man and appeared to land close to Kishida in the scene’s video. Security guards pushed the item aside quickly and dragged Kishida away.
Videos that have been shared on social media show that the explosion did not happen for at least 30 seconds after it was thrown, giving nearby residents time to flee. There have been no reported injuries.
Several police were also seen on video tackling a young man wearing a black hoodie. A 24-year-old man from Hyogo Prefecture named Ryuji Kimora was reportedly detained on the spot, according to Japanese media. The police stated that they are still looking into a motive.
Police reportedly discovered a second, similar explosive device at the scene, according to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. What kind of explosive was used is unclear.
After being driven away, Kishida continued his planned political activities later on Saturday. He vowed that the incident would not affect the by-elections for Japan’s lower house of parliament, which are scheduled for April 23.
According to the Kyodo news agency, Kishida stated during a speech at a different location in Wakayama, “Together with you all, we have to carry on with the election.”
The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by a man using a homemade gun at a visible political event eight months prior made the incident particularly unsettling.
In recent decades, political violence has been incredibly infrequent in Japan. However, calls for increased security at political gatherings, where politicians frequently engage in highly personal interactions with voters, have increased in response to the Abe assassination.
Jeffrey J. Hall, a specialist in Japanese politics at the Kanda University of International Studies, said that since the assassination of Prime Minister Abe, Japan has had almost a year to strengthen security. Next month, Japan will host world leaders for a G-7 summit.
There will be inquiries into whether sufficient measures were taken to stop the man from hurling an explosive device at the prime minister, he continued.
Hirokazu Matsuno, the chief cabinet secretary, promised that the government would take the necessary precautions to ensure security at the G-7 and urged the National Police Agency to ensure the protection of prominent individuals.
