Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was safely evacuated after an individual threw what seemed to be a smoke bomb during an outdoor speech in western Japan on Saturday, according to local media reports.
A loud explosion followed, but Kishida took cover and remained unharmed as police apprehended a man at the site, public broadcaster NHK reported.
The event took place at Saikazaki fishing harbor in Wakayama prefecture, about 65 km (40 miles) southwest of Osaka City.
The assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving leader in modern history, by a homemade gun in July while campaigning for a parliamentary election shocked the country. It led to a review of security measures for politicians who regularly interact with the public.
Kishida had just begun his speech after touring the harbor when the incident happened, according to NHK. His ruling Liberal Democratic Party had scheduled the speech for 11:40 am (0240 GMT).
The LDP confirmed via its Twitter account that Kishida would continue his Saturday afternoon campaign schedule after the occurrence.
NHK footage revealed crowds fleeing as several police officers seemed to restrain a man before escorting him from the scene. The man was reported to be in his 20s or 30s.
A representative from Wakayama’s prefectural police headquarters informed Reuters that he could not provide details about the incident.
A woman at the scene told NHK she saw an object flying overhead: “It gave me a bad feeling, so we ran away unbelievably fast. Then we heard a really loud noise. It made my daughter cry.”
Kishida is set to host a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima next month, while G7 foreign ministers are due to convene on Sunday in the resort city of Karuizawa.
