One Injured After Japanese Prime Minister Targeted By Explosive, Suspect In Custody

One person was injured after an explosive device was thrown at Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a campaign event on Saturday. 

Kishida, who was campaigning in western Japan, was not injured in the attack, but a police officer did receive treatment for some minor injuries, according to The Associated Press. Investigators have not yet announced a motive, but police did detain a young man who they tackled to the ground shortly after “the suspicious object” was thrown toward Kishida.

Prior to Saturday’s attack, Kishida was set to give a speech in the city of Wakayama in support of a candidate for local office. Footage of the attack shows Japanese police detaining the suspect while a loud explosion can be heard. After the bang, people scream and run away while white smoke can be seen rising from where the explosion went off. Video appeared to show bystanders grabbing the suspect, who is a 24-year-old named Kimura. Some have speculated that the object thrown could have been a smoke bomb. 

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida was evacuated unharmed after what appeared to be a smoke bomb was thrown at him while he was on a campaign trail in western Japan https://t.co/v6sfftIBO6 pic.twitter.com/PgbSCsQ59F

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 15, 2023

“We are holding an important election for our country, and we must work together with all of you to see it through,” Kishida said after the attack as his party, the Liberal Democrats, announced that they would continue to hold campaign events before upcoming elections.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated unharmed after someone threw an explosive device at a campaign event in western Japan. Police subdued a man at the scene https://t.co/q7U9WXf0mR pic.twitter.com/0nakpBIPiA

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 15, 2023

“Elections are the core of democracy, and we should never tolerate threats or obstruction by violence,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno. 

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The explosive attack occurred less than one year after former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated while campaigning in western Japan. Abe, a center-Right politician, was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister since WWII, serving between 2012 and 2020. 

Tetsuya Yamagami, who allegedly shot Abe in July with a homemade gun, will stand trial for murder and a gun charge, according to the Nara District Court. The charges come after a lengthy mental examination to determine whether Yamagami could be tried.

The date for the trial has not yet been set, but both a panel of civil jurors and bench judges are expected to preside over the courtroom. A conviction could lead to the death penalty, although experts say a life sentence is more likely.

According to police, Yamagami has said that the killing was motivated by Abe’s alleged ties to the Unification Church. Yamagami disliked the church because of his mother’s large financial donations to it, and its influence on the public square is controversial in Japan.

Yamagami could also be hit with additional weapon and explosive charges, as well as charges relating to building damages.

Diplomats from the G7 Nations will be meeting in Japan on Sunday to discuss the Russia-Ukraine War, China, and North Korea.