A man was arrested in Tokyo on Saturday and accused of throwing several incendiary devices at the headquarters of the governing Liberal Democratic Party and crashing his car into a security fence outside the nearby office of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, according to Tokyo police.
The masked suspect was taken into custody early Saturday morning after colliding with the fence outside the prime minister’s office. The police reported that the man had also thrown an object resembling a smoke bomb toward the office.
No injuries were reported, and Mr. Ishiba was away from Tokyo in southern Japan at the time of the incident.
This episode marks the latest in a series of violent acts targeting officials in Japan, a nation known for its low rates of violent crime. In 2022, Japan was shocked by the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who held the office for an extended period. The following year, a man threw a pipe bomb at then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida while he was delivering a speech near Osaka, although Mr. Kishida was unharmed.
The suspect has been identified as 49-year-old Atsunobu Usuda from Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo. Police discovered several additional incendiary devices and plastic containers likely containing kerosene in his vehicle.
Details regarding the suspect's motivations remain unclear.
Mr. Ishiba assumed office this month, succeeding the unpopular Mr. Kishida, who resigned after leading the Liberal Democrats for three years amid corruption scandals.
In its early weeks, Mr. Ishiba’s administration has also faced unpopularity, with a local news agency poll showing an approval rating of 28 percent — the lowest for any new administration since 2000.
Mr. Ishiba, a former defense minister, has been criticized for unclear policies, including a controversial proposal to establish an "Asian NATO," which has left policy experts seeking clarification. He has also appeared to shift his stance on issues such as interest rates and nuclear energy since the election.
This month, Mr. Ishiba dissolved the lower house of Japan’s Parliament, a decision that has angered opposition parties. Critics have suggested that this move, made just before his confirmation as prime minister, could be unconstitutional.
A snap election is scheduled for October 27, which will determine whether the Liberal Democrats maintain a majority in the more powerful chamber of Japan’s Parliament.