Domestic media reported that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated without injury after a suspect threw what appeared to be a smoke device at an outdoor speech in western Japan on Saturday.
Public broadcaster NHK reported that a loud explosion was heard, but the prime minister took shelter and remained unharmed while police subdued a man at the scene.
The event occurred at Wakayama’s Saikazaki fisheries port, 65 kilometres (40 miles) southwest of Osaka City.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the nation’s longest-serving leader, was assassinated with a homemade gun while campaigning for a parliamentary election in July of last year, startling the nation and prompting a review of security for politicians who routinely campaign in person.
NHK reported that Kishida had just begun his speech after inspecting the harbor when Saturday’s incident occurred. According to Kishida’s governing Liberal Democratic Party, the speech was scheduled for 11:40 am (0240 GMT).
After the incident, the LDP verified via its Twitter account that Kishida would resume his Saturday afternoon campaign schedule.
NHK footage showed several police officers holding a man down before removing him. According to the media, the individual appeared to be in his 20s or 30s.
A representative of the prefectural police headquarters in Wakayama told Reuters he was unable to comment on the incident.
“Gave me a bad sensation, so we fled incredibly quickly,” a witness told NHK. Then, an extremely loud disturbance was heard. It caused my daughter to weep.
Next month, Kishida will convene a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima. On Sunday, G7 foreign ministers will convene in the resort city of Karuizawa.
