Early Sunday, authorities launched a house search in Kawanishi, a western Hyogo prefecture city, after a 24-year-old man named Ryuji Kimura was identified as a suspect in the assault. Local officials, citing the risk of explosives, asked residents to evacuate the area and imposed a security perimeter around the scene.
They also established a control zone and began a targeted operation with responders wearing protective gear to deter access and to handle potential explosive devices.
The security measures followed Kishida’s evacuation from a campaign event the previous day, an incident Japanese officials described as not harming the prime minister. The suspect in the attack was quickly detained, with authorities reporting the seizure of a second explosive device and unclear motives at the time.
The blast occurred near Wakayama city, in the western part of the country, around 11:30 a.m. local time (02:30 GMT Saturday). Witnesses described a plume of white smoke and a crowded area where Kishida’s campaign rally had drawn hundreds of attendees.
In statements to a senior party official arranged through NHK, the prime minister recounted seeing a throw and narrowly escaping, while reaffirming his plan to continue with scheduled election activities today and tomorrow despite the incident.
Officials confirmed the detainee’s identity as a 24-year-old man named Ryuji Kimura, noting the presence of a second device. The motive remained undetermined as investigations continued.
During the arrest, Kimura carried a backpack and another metal object; authorities believe this could be a second pipe bomb. He initially refused to testify until his lawyer arrived.
The incident follows a separate breach linked to the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe during a similar campaign event in Nara last July, a stark reminder of heightened security risks during public political events.
A counter-terrorism expert urges a review of election security in Japan
Isao Itabashi, director of the Japan Public Policy Council Research Center, pressed today for a thorough review of how election security is addressed in law, in light of the apparent attack on Prime Minister Kishida the day before. He described the incident as a serious threat during a rally and called for tighter precautions during campaign activities.
In an interview with NHK, Itabashi highlighted the rapid police response that allowed Kishida to escape after an object was hurled toward the podium, with several hundred people gathered nearby awaiting the president’s remarks.
Itabashi noted that the cylindrical, metallic object resembled a pipe bomb, a homemade explosive requiring technical skill to assemble and capable of causing severe harm. He warned that the presence of a second similar device could indicate intent to attack and stressed the need to await the investigation’s findings.
The center’s director described the close call as fortunate that the device did not detonate, given how near it landed to Kishida. He also pointed out the security challenges posed by large crowds at campaign events, a reality underscored by the prior day’s events and Abe’s murder.
Japan’s authorities acknowledged past security lapses and have begun adjusting protocols for political events, including deploying more security personnel around officials and tightening overall safeguards in public settings.