Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated Saturday from a venue where he was giving an outdoor speech after an “explosion-like sound” at the scene.
Video footage released by Japan’s public broadcaster NHK showed members of the public fleeing and a man being arrested following the incident. The footage showed multiple men, believed to be police officers, holding the suspect on the ground. Other pictures showed a silver cylinder that appeared to have been thrown in Kishida’s direction.
Local news agency Kyodo news reported that a man had been arrested after throwing “what appeared to be a smoke bomb.”
The dramatic scenes took place in the city of Wakayama, where Kishida was giving a speech following his inspection of Saikazaki Fishing Port. The speech was part of the prime minister’s support for an upcoming by-election for the House of Representatives in a Wakayama district. Campaigning is currently underway in Japan’s nationwide local elections.
A city council member who was at the scene told NHK that a “cylindrical silver object” had flown “about two meters in front of me” shortly before the explosion was heard.
Another eyewitness also reported seeing “a silver cylinder,” saying it “was thrown and then shone a bit before a big sound was heard.”
Japanese officials say Kishida is safe and unharmed. NHK reported that he had been taken to another location where he was surrounded by police officers who were guarding him.
The broadcaster said a man had been arrested on “suspicion of forcible obstruction of business” and taken to the Wakayama West Police Station for questioning.
In Japan, “forcible obstruction of business” is a crime – “to obstruct another person’s business by force.”
Wakayama Nishi Police Station officials told CNN that they had secured a suspect but are unable to release the suspect or any other information yet; they said more details would be announced in the future.
Comparisons to Abe shooting
The incident drew immediate comparisons to the assassination of the former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot in July last year.
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was shot while giving a campaign speech to a small crowd near a railway station in the city of Nara.
The attack, which took place in broad daylight and involved what appeared to be a homemade weapon, shocked a nation that is rarely associated with political and gun violence.
Doctors who tended to Abe revealed that the shot had penetrated all the way to his heart.
A man was arrested following Abe’s death and is currently facing murder and firearms charges.
This is a developing story. More to follow
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April 15, 2023 at 11:17AM
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Man arrested after explosion prompts evacuation of Japanese leader Fumio Kishida from speech venue - CNN
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