TOKYO (AP) – A man threw several incendiary bombs at the headquarters of Japan’s ruling party in Tokyo on Saturday, then crashed his car into the fence of the prime minister’s official residence, according to Tokyo police. There were no reports of injuries.
Police identified the man as Atsunobu Usuda (49), and he was arrested on the spot on suspicion of obstructing official duties, but additional charges may be added later.
Employees work near a barricaded vehicle center near the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo, Saturday, October 19, 2024. (Kyodo News, via AP)
The motive for the attack was not immediately clear, but Japanese media reports said social media posts appearing to belong to Usuda included information about the large sums of money he would need to run for office under Japanese law. This suggests that Mr. Usuda had political ambitions.
Media also reported, citing anonymous sources, that Usuda had participated in anti-nuclear protests. Usuda could not be reached for comment.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has become increasingly unpopular with the public due to a huge financial scandal involving questionable funding and allegations of tax evasion. The party declined to comment on Saturday’s attack, referring all inquiries to police.
A vote in the lower house of Congress is scheduled for October 27th. Some unpopular politicians have lost official support from the ruling party but are running as independent candidates.
Police officers gather near the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters holding posters of Japan’s prime minister and party leader Shigeru Ishiba after a man threw an incendiary device into the party headquarters in Tokyo, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Kyodo News, via AP)
The party recently elected a new leader, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and is aiming to project a new image. However, while opinion polls show the party’s support has plummeted, it is unclear whether the party will lose its majority in the House of Commons in the next election, given the fragmentation of the opposition. It’s still unclear.
Some candidates have been heckled, which is relatively uncommon in Japanese culture.
The Liberal Democratic Party has ruled Japan almost continuously in recent decades. They are believed to have guided Japan from the ravages of World War II to becoming an economic powerhouse.
A police vehicle parks near the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo after a man throws an incendiary device into the party headquarters on Saturday, October 19, 2024. (Kyodo News, via AP)
Officials work near a vehicle stuck in a safety fence near the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo, Saturday, October 19, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)
In 2022, then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated during a speech for the ruling party’s candidates in the parliamentary elections. The culprit used a homemade gun and said that he had a grudge against Mr. Abe because his mother had donated all of the family’s assets to the Unification Church and believed that Mr. Abe was connected to the Unification Church. Such relationships still continue with some ruling party politicians.
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Yuri Kageyama appears on X: https://x.com/yurikageyama
