Smoke bomb explodes: Japanese prime minister brought to safety

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been brought to safety unharmed after a suspected smoke bomb exploded during a campaign event. Police arrested a 24-year-old Japanese man at the site of a fishing port in the western city of Wakayama, local media reported Saturday. There, Kishida wanted to give a speech in support of a candidate from his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in local elections. Last July, Kishida’s predecessor, Shinzo Abe, was shot dead on the street during a campaign speech in the ancient imperial city of Nara. The assassination attempt on the prime minister sparked global outrage.

The suspected smoke bomb was thrown from a crowd of several hundred people on Saturday, Japanese media reported. TV recordings showed a loud explosion, people screaming trying to run away, white smoke in the air. Eyewitnesses said the explosion happened seconds after the suspect struggled to the ground. No one was injured, it said. Kishida was immediately taken to safety in a car and later continued his campaign tour elsewhere. The motive of the perpetrator was initially unknown.

Considered one of the safest countries in the world and with extremely strict gun laws, Japan has stricter security measures. Because this Sunday, the foreign ministers of the group of G7 countries are traveling to a meeting in Nagano Prefecture. Kishida himself will host the G7 summit in his hometown of Hiroshima on May 19-21. (sda/dpa)