Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Unhurt, Resumes Campaigning After Bomb Scare

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida resumed election campaigning on Saturday after a smoke bomb was allegedly thrown at an event he attended in central Japan, weeks before he hosts the Group of Seven world leaders for a summit.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested for obstruction on suspicion he threw a pipe-like object at a venue in the western prefecture of Wakayama where Kishida had been about to give a speech at around 11:30 a.m., Kyodo News said, citing sources close to the investigation. Kishida was evacuated unharmed from the site, and later resumed his schedule of speeches for the day. One police officer was slightly injured, Kyodo said.

The event has chilling echoes of the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a stump speech ahead of last year’s upper house elections. Five by-elections are set to be held next weekend, including in the constituency left vacant by Abe’s death.

The incident also calls into question security arrangements for the G-7 summit to be held in May in Kishida’s home town of Hiroshima, as well as related ministerial meetings all over the country.

“We are now holding elections, which are the most important thing for our country,” Kishida said in a speech broadcast by NHK following the incident. “With your help, I want to push through with this important election to the end.”

Support for the premier has been buoyed in recent weeks by his visit to Ukraine, as well as progress toward reconciliation in a long-running feud with South Korea. That’s renewed speculation that he might call a general election in the coming months if the by-elections and summit both go smoothly.

Showing fortitude in the face of the latest incident could bolster Kishida and his party in the by-elections, an analyst said.

“Continuing with his campaign speeches will be well received by voters,” said Shigenobu Tamura, a political analyst who previously worked for Kishida’s main ruling Liberal Democratic Party. “They will appreciate him continuing with his duties regardless of what might happen to him.”

The premier was touring a fishing port in support of an LDP candidate and was about to address a crowd when the incident occurred. Video shown by broadcaster TBS on its website showed a young man with a backpack being tackled and held down by a group of people, followed by the sound of an explosion and screams, while smoke spread across the area.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that police were looking into the motive and background of the suspected perpetrator. He added that he had instructed them to be thorough in protecting VIPs ahead of the summit.

Security had already been a high priority for the G-7 summit set for May 19-21 following the shock of last year’s assassination. G-7 ministers are also having meetings on the northern island of Hokkaido and in the resort town of Karuizawa this weekend.

A representative of the Wakayama police department declined to comment to Bloomberg News.

Ruling and opposition politicians condemned the incident. Hiroshi Moriyama, the election chair of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said on NHK that it was deplorable for such a thing to happen during elections, the foundation of democracy. “It’s an unforgivable act of violence,” he said.

生词记录

resume （中断后）继续，重新开始；恢复，重新回到，重返某个位置

campaign 从事活动，开展运动，发起运动

allegedly 据称，据说

suspicion 嫌疑，怀疑

prefecture （法意日等国的）地方行政区，省，县，辖区

evacuate 疏散，使撤离

chilling 令人恐惧的，令人不寒而栗的

echo 重复，附和；回声，回响；表示十分相似的东西，仿效

stump speech 巡回政治演讲，竞选演讲

by-election 补选

constituency 选区的选民

vacant 空缺的

call into question 引起对···的怀疑

primer 首相，总理

buoy 支持，使更成功；鼓励，鼓舞

reconciliation 和解，和好

feud 世仇，长期争斗

renew 更新，更换，延长···期限；重新开始

speculation 推测，猜测；投机买卖

fortitude 勇敢，坚韧，刚毅

bolster 加固，提高，改善

tackle 阻截，铲球

hold sb/sth down 把···按住，使无法动弹

perpetrator 犯罪者，作恶者

thorough 彻底的，完全的；仔细的

assassination 刺杀，暗杀

resort 旅游胜地，度假胜地

condemn 谴责，指责

deplorable 极其恶劣的，非常糟糕的