October 19, 2024 — A 49-year-old man was arrested in Tokyo on Saturday after throwing suspected petrol bombs at the headquarters of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and ramming his car into a fence outside the prime minister’s office, police reported. The incident occurred just over a week before Japan’s general election, in which newly-appointed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is seeking to strengthen his political mandate.
Tokyo police confirmed the suspect, a resident of Saitama, was apprehended at the scene. “He was arrested on the spot on suspicion of obstructing public duties,” said a police spokeswoman.
The attack took place around sunrise, when the man drove to the LDP headquarters, exited his vehicle, and threw what appeared to be Molotov cocktails. He then proceeded to the prime minister’s office, where he rammed his car into a security fence and threw a smoke bomb towards nearby police officers, according to the police report. Fortunately, no injuries were sustained.
Public broadcaster NHK reported that five or six Molotov cocktail-like objects hit a riot police van, causing a small fire that was quickly extinguished. Media outlets, including the Asahi Shimbun, stated that plastic tanks commonly used to carry liquids were found in the man’s vehicle.
Security Response and Aftermath
Images from the scene showed a burnt riot police vehicle outside the LDP headquarters, while firefighters and law enforcement officials responded to the attack. The prime minister’s office, located about 15 minutes’ walk from the LDP headquarters in central Tokyo, was secured following the incident.
Prime Minister Ishiba, who was campaigning in Kagoshima at the time, condemned the attack. “Democracy must never succumb to violence,” he said in a statement. “We will do everything necessary to ensure that elections and democracy are not undermined by such acts of aggression.”
Context of Rising Political Tensions
The attack comes at a sensitive time, just days before Japan’s general election on October 27. Prime Minister Ishiba, who took office after winning the LDP’s leadership race last month, faces his first electoral test. Despite the LDP’s dominant position, a low voter turnout and a fragmented opposition could result in a reduced majority for the party and its coalition partner.
Violent crime is rare in Japan, a country known for its strict gun control laws. However, political violence has shocked the nation in recent years. In 2022, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated while campaigning, and in 2023, then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida survived an apparent pipe bomb attack.
Prime Minister Ishiba, 67, a former defense minister, has focused his campaign on revitalizing rural areas and addressing Japan’s demographic challenges. Despite these efforts, the LDP is contending with internal divisions and shifting voter preferences in the run-up to the election.
With security now a heightened concern, authorities are on alert to prevent any further incidents as the election approaches.
