Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been evacuated, unhurt, after a suspect threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb at an outdoor speech in western Japan on Saturday, according to domestic media reports.
A loud explosion was heard, but the PM took cover and was unharmed while police subdued a man at the scene, public broadcaster NHK said.
The incident occurred at the Saikazaki fishing harbour in Wakayama prefecture, some 65 kilometres south-west of Osaka city.
"Police are investigating the details of the loud explosive sound at the previous speech venue," Mr Kishida said when he resumed his campaign speeches, in video broadcast by NHK.
"I am sorry for causing many people to be concerned. We are in the middle of an important election for our country. We must carry this on together."
Former prime minister Shinzo Abe — the longest-serving leader of modern Japan — was assassinated with a homemade gun last July while campaigning for a parliamentary election, shocking the nation and prompting a review of security for politicians, who routinely press the flesh with the public.
By-elections in various regions for the lower house of Japan's parliament are to be held on April 23.
Mr Kishida had just started to deliver the speech after touring the harbour when Saturday's incident occurred, NHK said.
The prime minister was being served local speciality seafood just before the explosion, media reported.
News video showed Mr Kishida looking behind him in surprise as shouts filled the area.
A man identified by the Asahi newspaper as a staffer of the fishery cooperative grabbed a young man in a headlock as police swarmed the suspect and dragged him to the ground.
Moments later, a cloud of smoke and an explosion near where Mr Kishida had been standing was evident on news video.
NHK video showed the thrown object, which appeared to be a metal cylinder.
Police arrested a 24-year old male suspect from Kawanishi city, Kyodo reported.
A representative of Wakayama's prefectural police headquarters told Reuters he could not answer questions about the incident.
On the scene, a woman told NHK that she saw an object flying overhead and "it gave me a bad feeling, so we ran away unbelievably fast".
"Then we heard a really loud noise. It made my daughter cry," she said.
Mr Kishida is to host a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima next month. G7 foreign ministers are to meet on Sunday in the resort city of Karuizawa.
Reuters
