Japan: Man jailed for attempted murder of former PM Fumio Kishida

A man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to assassinate former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in 2023. This incident has renewed concerns about the safety of political figures in Japan, especially following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, prompting increased security measures for public officials.

Ryuji Kimura, 25, threw a pipe bomb at Fumio Kishida as he was attending a campaign event in Wakayama City and preparing to address the crowd. Although Kishida himself was unharmed, the explosion of the homemade explosive device resulted in minor injuries to a police officer and a member of the public, highlighting the potential danger of such attacks.

During questioning, Kimura claimed that his intention was not to kill Kishida, but rather to protest the country's election age regulations that prevented him from entering politics. The minimum age to be a member of the House of Representatives in Japan is 25, and the minimum age to be a member of the House of Councillors is 30. He also stated that he threw the bomb to draw attention to a civil lawsuit he filed in 2022, in which he claimed the age restriction was unconstitutional, but the lawsuit had been dismissed.

Kimura's defense lawyer argued that he should not face attempted murder charges because he did not believe the bomb would cause harm, and that a three-year prison sentence would be reasonable considering the extent of the injuries. However, the court stated that the explosives were powerful enough to cause fatal injuries. Presiding Judge Keiko Fukushima stated during the sentencing, "The act against the prime minister in office caused great anxiety throughout society."

In addition to attempted murder, Kimura was also convicted of violating explosives control regulations and the firearms control law. His 10-year sentence is five years less than what the prosecutors had sought. Concerns about the safety of political figures in Japan have been heightened following the assassination of Shinzo Abe in 2022. The attack on Kishida has also raised questions about why tighter security measures were not in place for the nation's leader at the time, leading to a review of security protocols for high-profile individuals.