Japanese PM unhurt after smoke bomb thrown during speech

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday escaped unhurt after a smoke bomb was hurled at him ahead of his scheduled speech at the Saikazaki Port in Wakayama prefecture, local media reported.

According to public broadcaster NHK, Kishida left the spot immediately after the incident.

In a report, Kyodo News said that the person who threw the smoke bomb was apprehended by police.

The Prime Minister was campaigning for a lower house by-election for the Wakayama No. 1 district.

The incident comes less than a year after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot during a campaign event in July 2022.