Police said a man threw what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail outside the headquarters of Japan's ruling party on Saturday and drove his car into a fence outside the prime minister's office, Tokyo media reported on October 19.
The man has been arrested, but fortunately no casualties have been reported in this incident. With the October 27 general election just over a week away, the road to election is becoming increasingly difficult for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office on October 1.
A 49-year-old man from Saitama Prefecture, north of Japan's capital, was "arrested on the spot on suspicion of obstructing official business," a Tokyo police spokesman said.
It happened around 6 a.m. when the man in question approached the LDP headquarters in a car, after which he quickly got out of the car and threw what appeared to be Molotov cocktails.
"He also drove his car into the road in front of the prime minister's office, hit a fence to prevent vehicles from entering, and then threw what appeared to be smoke bombs at the police after getting out of the car." The spokesman said.
According to the report, five or six objects resembling Molotov cocktails hit a riot police car, but fortunately, the fire was quickly extinguished and no one was injured.
Police also found several plastic canisters in the man's white car, which are usually used to transport liquids. The prime minister's official residence is about a 15-minute walk from the LDP headquarters in central Tokyo, and it's clear that the man involved came prepared.
Images after the incident showed a dark blue riot police car partially burned down at the front as firefighters and police gathered at the scene.
"Democracy must not succumb to violence." According to local media reports, Shigeru Ishiba, who is also the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, said during his election campaign in the southern region of Kagoshima.
"This happened during the election campaign, but we will do everything we can to ensure that elections and democracy are not violently undermined." Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba emphasized.
Japan will hold a general election on October 27 to test Shigeru Ishiba's intake after winning the LDP leadership vote last month.
Violent crime is rare in Japan because Japan has strict gun control laws, but when violent crime occurs, the situation is often very serious.
In 2022, Shinzo Abe was assassinated, and a prime minister was shot dead in broad daylight by a man with a makeshift gun.
Shigeru Ishiba's predecessor---, Fumio Kishida, was also targeted in 2023 when a man dropped an apparent homemade tube bomb at the then prime minister, but fortunately Fumio Kishida was not injured in the case.
Despite frequent leadership changes, the conservative LDP has been in power for much of Japan's postwar history. I wonder if Shigeru Ishiba can "stick" to the position of prime minister, or if he may become the shortest-serving prime minister in Japan's history?