The man suspected of throwing an explosive device at Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida may have nursed a grudge against the election system and the ruling party’s ties to a fringe religion, local media reports said.
(Bloomberg) — The man suspected of throwing an explosive device at Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida may have nursed a grudge against the election system and the ruling party’s ties to a fringe religion, local media reports said.
The 24-year-old taken into custody sought to run for election to Japan’s upper house of parliament last year but was rejected as too young to qualify as a candidate, Kyodo News reported Tuesday citing court documents.
The man identified as Ryuji Kimura has not spoken about the incident that took place on Saturday at a fishing port in the western prefecture of Wakayama, where Kishida was due to campaign for candidates from his Liberal Democratic Party, Kyodo said. There has been no lawyer speaking on behalf of the suspect.
A man by the same name and address as the suspect filed a lawsuit in a district court in June seeking 100,000 yen ($745) in damages for mental distress because he didn’t qualify for the race, where candidates must be at least 30 years old and pay a 3 million yen deposit, Kyodo said.
The suit said the requirements violated the Constitution but the court dismissed the case, calling the conditions reasonable, Kyodo said.
Video of the weekend incident showed a pipe-like object being thrown from the crowd and landing near Kishida. The premier was whisked away by security personnel a few seconds before the device exploded. He was unharmed and one police officer suffered minor injuries.
The prime minister went back on the campaign trail hours later, calling the attack “unforgivable.” The incident rekindled memories of the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was gunned down about nine months ago by an assailant while making a campaign speech for the LDP.
The suspect in the latest incident was angered by the decision of the Kishida government to have a state funeral for Abe, saying politicians like Abe were able to keep power through ties to groups like the Unification Church, the Mainichi newspaper reported court filings as saying.
The LDP saw a fall in its support in the weeks following the Abe assassination as the extent of its ties to the church emerged. The group has dozens of criminal and civil judgments against its members in Japan, many over its fund-raising methods.
But the attempted attack may have helped Kishida, who has seen his support rate climb in polls taken over the past few days. This has fueled speculation he could call an early national vote to solidify his leadership as he seeks to push through policies to head off a population decline threatening long-term economic health and raise wages for workers struggling to make ends meet.
Although he doesn’t have to hold a vote for more than two years, Kishida could be tempted to call an early poll if the LDP does well in special elections this Sunday for five parliamentary seats, and if he can raise his profile through a successful hosting of the Group of Seven leaders’ meeting next month in his home town of Hiroshima.
Missing this current window for an election also carries a risk for Kishida, with the economy possibly weakening down the road.
Bloomberg Economics on March 31 cut its GDP growth forecast for Japan in 2023 to 0.8%, down from 1.1% previously. It said the nation’s economy “could have a rough year” as yen appreciation and weaker demand in the US and Europe takes a toll on exports.
–With assistance from Isabel Reynolds.
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