‘Gunpowder’ found at home of Japan PM blast suspect: Local media

TOKYO - Suspected gunpowder has been found at the home of a man accused of throwing an explosive at Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a campaign event, local media said.

Mr Kishida

was unharmed in the attack,

in which a suspected pipe bomb was tossed towards him at a port in western Japan’s Wakayama, shortly before he gave a speech.

Police spent more than eight hours on Sunday searching the home of the man, who was identified as 24-year-old Ryuji Kimura, and local residents were temporarily evacuated because of the threat of explosives.

Wakayama police declined to comment on the reports.

National broadcaster NHK said suspected gunpowder as well as pipe-like objects and tools were found at the house, and investigators now believe the explosive device thrown at the event was homemade.

They are analysing Kimura’s phone and computer for clues, but he has so far refused to give any motive for the attack.

He was transferred on Monday to the Wakayama prosecutors’ office from a local police station, local media reported. The prosecutors’ office declined to comment.

NHK aired footage of him in the rear seat of a police car looking straight ahead as he was taken away. He is under arrest on suspicion of obstruction of business.

The attack came less than a year after

the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe,

which traumatised Japan and forced a security shake-up for public officials.

It happened as climate and energy ministers from the Group of Seven (G-7) countries met in the northern city of Sapporo, a day before the bloc’s foreign ministers arrived in the resort town of Karuizawa for talks.

Top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said on Monday that the police agency had “instructed police across the country to strengthen security, which was immediately implemented”.

Officers were ordered to “strengthen patrolling and guarding, including security for the G-7 Hiroshima summit”, Mr Matsuno said. AFP