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Agence France-Presse

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida resumed campaigning on Saturday after being evacuated unharmed from the scene of an apparent “smoke bomb” blast.
The incident in western Japan’s Wakayama came less than a year after the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, which traumatised the country and forced a security shake-up for public officials.
Kishida was in the city to deliver remarks in support of a ruling party candidate and had just finished sampling fish at a local port when a disturbance rippled through the crowd gathered to hear him speak.
Footage from national broadcaster NHK showed the prime minister turning to look backwards as a person was detained by security and people moved away, some shrieking.
Seconds later, a blast was heard and white smoke filled the air.
Footage and photos from the scene showed a silver, pipe-like object on the ground, but it was not immediately clear whether it had caused the blast and smoke.
Government officials said a man had been arrested on suspicion of obstruction of business.
He has been identified as a 24-year-old man from the Hyogo region, a Wakayama police official said. There was no immediate information on a potential motive.
Church or cult? Abe murder spotlights South Korea’s ‘pseudo-religious’ groups
People at the scene described moments of panic.
“I ran frantically, and then, 10 or so seconds later, there was a loud sound and my kid started crying. I was stunned, my heart is still beating fast,” one woman told NHK.
A man at the scene told the broadcaster that “when we all stopped in front of the podium, someone started saying ‘culprit!’ or something, or ‘an explosive was thrown,’ so everyone started dispersing fast.”
“And then, about 10 seconds after the culprit was captured, there was a blast,” he said.

Kishida was unharmed, and soon resumed campaigning, including a stop at a local railway station.
“There was a loud blast sound at the previous speech venue. Police are investigating details, but I’d like to apologise for worrying many people and causing them trouble,” he said.
“An election that’s important to our country is taking place, and we must work together and follow through on it.”
He made a campaign stop later in the day in Chiba, east of Tokyo, despite the incident, which his party’s election strategy chairman Hiroshi Moriyama described as an “unforgivable atrocity”.


Security at local campaign events in Japan can be relatively relaxed, in a country with little violent crime and strict gun laws.
But the country bolstered security around politicians after the assassination of Abe, who was shot and killed while speaking at a campaign event in July 2022.
His alleged assassin, Tetsuya Yamagami, reportedly targeted him over his links to the Unification Church, and the incident sparked revelations about the connection between the sect and political figures in Japan.
Yamagami was reportedly angry at the sect over large donations his mother made to the group that left the family bankrupt.
The head of Japan’s National Police Agency, and the local police chief, resigned in the wake of Abe’s assassination after an investigation confirmed “shortcomings” in the security for the former leader.
The investigation slammed a system under which local police were given responsibility for the security of visiting senior officials.
With proper security, “it is deemed highly probable that this incident could have been prevented”, the report concluded.

The incident comes as Group of Seven (G7) climate and energy ministers meet in the northern city of Sapporo, and a day before G7 foreign ministers arrive in Karuizawa in Nagano for talks.
Japan will host the G7 leaders’ summit next month in Hiroshima and security concerns have regularly been raised.
“The fact that an incident like this happened at this time must be taken seriously,” anti-terrorism expert Isao Itabashi of the Council for Public Policy told Japan media company NHK.
In Sapporo, US envoy John Kerry said he had not been informed about the incident.
“I would be deeply concerned. He is a personal friend as well as somebody whom I admire very very much,” he said.


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Japan

Man arrested after smoke bomb thrown during Japan PM Fumio Kishida’s election speech

A man was caught after a smoke bomb was thrown during Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s stump speech in Wakayama on Saturday. Photo: Kyodo News via AP

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida tastes seafood during an election campaign event in Wakayama on Saturday. Photo: Kyodo via Reuters

People were shocked after a smoke bomb was thrown at Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida before he was due to make a stump speech in Wakayama. Photo: Kyodo

In Japan, concerns rise over ‘too powerful police’ after post-Abe VIP security reforms

Tetsuya Yamagami, (bottom), accused of assassinating former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, is detained in Nara, Japan. File photo: via AP

Japan’s National Police Commissioner Itaru Nakamura announced his resignation on Thursday.  Photo: EPA-EFE

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead on July 8 while campaigning for an election. Photo: Reuters

Shinzo Abe’s killing spotlights Unification Church’s ties with Japanese conservatives

A man signs a book of condolence for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was killed on Friday, at the Japanese embassy in Thailand. Photo: EPA-EFE

A vehicle carrying the body of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his funeral procession in Tokyo on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Tomihiro Tanaka, president of the Japanese branch of the Unification Church, at a press conference in Tokyo on Monday. Photo: Kyodo

Akie Abe, wife of Japan’s former PM Shinzo Abe, sits in a hearse carrying the body of her husband. Photo: via Reuters

Couples at a mass wedding ceremony organised by the Unification Church in South Korea. Photo: Reuters

Is Japan’s cabinet reshuffle linked to Unification Church or a ‘purge’ of Abe loyalists?

PM Fumio Kishida’s removal of several high-profile members of his administration has proved controversial. Photo: Kyodo

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, left, has been retained in the cabinet, while Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi has been removed. Photo: AP

Shinzo Abe’s death ‘could have been avoided’ if his security acted faster, new analysis shows

A police officer detains the man who shot former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Nara on July 8. Photo: The Asahi Newspaper via Reuters

A police officer detains the man who shot Shinzo Abe in Nara on July 8. Analysts said the priority should have been shielding or moving the former Japanese prime minister. Photo: The Asahi Newspaper via Reuters

A police officer tackles a man identified as Tetsuya Yamagami after the shooting of Shinzo Abe on July 8. Photo: The Yomiuri Newspaper/via Reuters

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is seen making a speech in Nara on July 8 moments before he was fatally shot from behind. Photo: The Asahi Newspaper via Reuters

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Asia

East Asia

Kishida, who was unhurt in the incident in western Japan’s Wakayama, apologised for ‘worrying many people’
He resumed campaigning following the attack which came less than a year after the assassination of former leader Shinzo Abe


Kishida, who was unhurt in the incident in western Japan’s Wakayama, apologised for ‘worrying many people’.


Fumio Kishida

Shinzo Abe

Shinzo Abe assassination

Man arrested after smoke bomb thrown during Japan PM Fumio Kishida’s election speech

Kishida, who was unhurt in the incident in western Japan’s Wakayama, apologised for ‘worrying many people’ He resumed campaigning following the attack which came less than a year after the assassination of former leader Shinzo Abe

Kishida, who was unhurt in the incident in western Japan’s Wakayama, apologised for ‘worrying many people’

He resumed campaigning following the attack which came less than a year after the assassination of former leader Shinzo Abe