The fishermen who tackled the man suspected of the second attack on a Japanese political leader in less than a year were surprised by the lack of security for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Fisherman Tsutomu Konishi was watching Kishida at a campaign event at this fishing port when an object flew overhead and landed near the prime minister, Konishi said. A security officer covered the object with a bulletproof briefcase, Konishi said. The fishermen swarmed the attacker."I never thought a crime like this would happen in my hometown, which is a rather small fishing area," Konishi, 41, said Sunday as he sipped a can of coffee at the port of Saikazaki.
Masaki Nishide, a 55-year-old fisherman from Saikazaki, said most of the people at Saturday's event were residents and supporters of the local candidate. He said the young man carrying the silver-gray backpack stood out. The chaotic scene was reminiscent of the assassination nine months ago of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which prompted police to tighten their protective measures after an investigation found holes in Abe's security. Abe, one of Japan's most influential and divisive politicians, was killed with a homemade gun during a campaign speech.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, and with its strict gun control laws, the country has only a handful of gun-related crimes annually. Most of the cases are gang-related, though in recent years there has been growing concern about homemade guns and explosives. There also have been some high-profile cases of random knifing on subways and arson attacks.
Only one person, a police official, was hurt, his arm cut by fragments of the device, which didn't fully explode. Police arrested 24-year-old Ryuji Kimura on suspicion of throwing an explosive in a metal tube at Kishida.
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