The suspect is Kimura, a 24-year-old resident of Hyogo Prefecture.
Pay attention to the impact of the election on the 23rd
A loud explosion and white smoke occurred just before Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida started a street campaign in the provinces to support the by-election on the 15th. Prime Minister Kishida went ahead with his campaign as scheduled without being injured.
In July of last year, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed during a campaign for the House of Councillors election, nine months after he was shot dead.
According to Japanese media such as NHK Broadcasting and Kyodo News, Prime Minister Kishida was about to start a speech at Saikazaki Fishing Port in Wakayama City at around 11:30 am on the same day to support the by-election for the Wakayama Prefectural House of Representatives, but heard a “pop” behind his back. has occurred
Explosions and smoke occurred in the crowds gathered to see Prime Minister Kishida’s campaign, and the suspect was immediately arrested by the police. Hundreds of people, including Prime Minister Kishida, were at the scene, but no injuries were reported.
Police seized two barrel-shaped objects that appeared to be explosives at the scene. One of these exploded at the scene and the other appears to have been in the possession of the police when they apprehended the suspect.
Local police confirmed the arrested suspect’s driver’s license and announced that the suspect was a 24-year-old man with the surname ‘Kimura’ living in Hyogo Prefecture. However, in Japan, the way to read the same kanji is different, so the police are checking the exact name. The suspect is said to be exercising his right to remain silent.
zoom inJapanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida campaigns at nearby Wakayama Station after an explosive ordnance was thrown on the 15th. A man threw an explosive at the place where Prime Minister Kishida was scheduled to campaign, but Prime Minister Kishida was not seriously injured. AP Kyodo/Newsis Prime Minister Kishida did not give a speech here, but later moved to a different location and gave a scheduled speech at Wakayama Station. It is known that speeches in other regions will be held as scheduled. Regarding the bombing incident, Prime Minister Kishida said, “I am sorry for causing concern and inconvenience,” and said, “We must all work together to do it. You must clearly show your heart as the country’s leading players in the election.”
In Japan, on the 23rd of this month, elections for local government heads and local council members, as well as re-elections and by-elections for five members of the National Assembly, will be held. With the outlook generally favoring the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, attention is being paid to how the bomb throwing incident will affect the election situation.
When former Prime Minister Abe died two days before the election last year, supporters of the ruling party rallied and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and parties supporting constitutional amendment won a landslide victory of more than two-thirds of the total seats.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.