On Monday, a smoke bomb was thrown near the car of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in central Tokyo, but police said he was not injured. Kishida had been attending an outdoor speech event in front of a train station in the Shinjuku district, according to broadcaster NHK. The prime minister’s car, which was about 30 meters (yards) away from where the object landed, quickly drove off.
The area around the station, which is a busy transport hub, was closed off by police. It wasn’t immediately clear who was behind the incident. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, said the matter was being investigated, and he condemned the act. He said all efforts would be made to ensure the prime minister’s safety.
Kishida is currently in the process of trying to revive the struggling Japanese economy, which has been hit hard by the pandemic. His government is also grappling with geopolitical tensions in the region, particularly with China and North Korea. The prime minister is scheduled to travel to the United States this month for talks with President Joe Biden.
The incident comes days after the country’s snap election that saw Prime Minister Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party secure a comfortable lower house win. Over the weekend, the new prime minister announced that his administration has adopted emergency measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic. In his first policy speech to parliament, Kishida announced that he would allocate an additional $47.2 billion to ensure the country’s health care system can cope with rising infections.
In conclusion, the smoke bomb thrown at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s car on Monday has sparked concerns about his personal safety in Japan amid tension in the region. The Prime Minister left the scene unharmed, and authorities are investigating the matter. Prime Minister Kishida is in the midst of trying to revive the Japanese economy while dealing with regional geopolitical tensions. The incident comes after Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party secured a comfortable win in the country’s recent election and as Kishida prepares to travel to the United States for talks with President Joe Biden.
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