On Friday, Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, was evacuated along with his security detail after a loud bang and smoke were detected in the air. The incident occurred while Kishida was visiting Wakayama prefecture near Osaka, where a special election is being held for a vacant parliamentary seat.
Reports suggest that a man was tackled to the ground following the incident. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno confirmed during a news conference that the suspect had been arrested on charges of “obstruction of business by force.” No one was injured in the incident, and the Prime Minister has since returned to Tokyo.
The incident is particularly alarming given that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was killed while on a campaign stop in July 2022. Abe was shot with a handmade gun by Tetsuya Yamagami, who was subsequently arrested and charged with his murder in January.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of politicians in Japan, particularly during campaign stops. Security measures have been tightened in recent months, but incidents like this demonstrate that there is still a long way to go.
The upcoming special election in Wakayama prefecture is likely to proceed as planned, despite the incident. However, it remains to be seen whether this incident will have any impact on the election’s outcome. The incident has been widely condemned by politicians and the public, and there are likely to be calls for greater security measures in the future.