Smoke Bomb Terror to the Japanese Prime Minister: What’s So Safe About Japan?
Tokyo, 15 April 2023, A suspect tossed what seemed to be a smoke bomb during a public lecture in western Japan on Saturday, but Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was unharmed and was taken to safety.
According to footage from Japanese media, Kishida took cover after hearing a loud explosion as police apprehended a suspect nearby. According to the Nikkei newspaper and Wakayama prefectural police, one police officer was slightly hurt in the incident.
The episode was reminiscent of the shooting death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who served as Japan’s longest-serving modern leader, in July 2022 while running for a parliamentary seat. The murder of Abe startled the country — where gun crimes are incredibly rare — and prompted a reconsideration of the safety measures taken by lawmakers, who frequently interact with the public.
Hirokazu Matsuno, the chief cabinet secretary, said the government will take all necessary measures to ensure security for the Group of Seven (G7) industrial powers summit Kishida will host in Hiroshima next month. Police have been told to step up security, he added.
The killing of former Prime Minister Abe is an extremely uncommon occurrence in Japan, which is generally regarded as a safe country with a low crime rate. Shinzo Abe’s alleged affiliation with an unidentified gang, according to police, was the motivation behind the suspect’s killing of the former prime minister.
When a right-wing fanatic stabbed Inejiro Asanuma, the chairman of the Japanese socialist party, in the stomach with a katana blade in 1960. Even while there are still right-wing extremists in Japan, it was unthinkable that Abe, a right-wing nationalist, would be the victim of such an attack. Other forms of crimes have increased in frequency recently. a meek, lonely man harboring animosity toward someone or something. In Kyoto, a popular animation studio was housed in a building that was set on fire in 2019, leaving 36 people dead.
Another incident that happened in 2008 involved a young guy who crashed a truck into a line of shoppers in Tokyo’s Akihabara neighborhood before getting out and starting to stab bystanders. There were seven fatalities. The young man said on social media before the crime that “I will kill people in Akihabara” and “I don’t have a single friend, I am ignored because I am ugly.” I am less than garbage.
The terror attack with the smoke bomb on PM Kishida also forced Japan to reconsider safety, particularly when it comes to planning international events. The Japanese government is committed to ensuring the safety and security of its residents and tourists, and has put safeguards in place to do so. These precautions include a police force that is well-trained and equipped, rigorous weapons control regulations, and a strong emergency response system.
The security arrangement for a G7 foreign ministers conference beginning on Sunday in the resort city of Karuizawa, according to Japan’s foreign ministry, won’t change. Matsuno stated that the government would hold off on making any statements on a suspected motive for the suspect until the conclusion of the police investigation. At the Saikazaki fishing harbour in Wakayama prefecture, some 65 kilometers (40 miles) southwest of Osaka city, an incident happened late on Saturday morning.
The murder of former Prime Minister Abe and the terrorizing smoke bomb attack on PM Kishida will undoubtedly alter Japanese perceptions of security. Security in Japan is undoubtedly relatively slack, especially in comparison to how safe the nation used to be. Politicians can practically stand on street corners during election campaigns, like the one going on right now, to deliver speeches and shake hands with onlookers.
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