Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was safely evacuated Saturday after a man appeared to throw an explosive device in his direction at a campaign event, Japanese media reported.
The incident happened at a fishing port in Wakayama, in western Japan, where Kishida was scheduled to give a speech in support of a ruling party candidate for upcoming elections.
Video showed several police tackling a young man in a black hoodie, shortly before an explosion rang out nearby. Witnesses told local media that the man had thrown an object – some Japanese media characterized the device as a smoke bomb.
Japan’s NHK broadcaster showed crowds of people running from the scene in panic.
Police say they have arrested a suspect but have given no indication as to motive. No injuries have been reported.
Kishida was evacuated from the scene by automobile. He will continue his political activities later Saturday as planned, his ruling Liberal Democratic Party said via Twitter.
The incident was especially unnerving since it came just eight months after former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated by a man with a homemade gun during a public political event.
Political violence has been extremely rare in Japan in recent decades. But the Abe assassination prompted calls for tighter security at political events, where politicians frequently interact with citizens in a highly personal manner.