Suspect in attack on Japan PM Kishida attended local politician’s meeting
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Ryuji Kimura was arrested at the scene of the incident on Saturday.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
TOKYO – The suspect who was arrested after he threw a smoke bomb-like device
Ryuji Kimura, 24, and his family moved into a two-storey house in the area from a nearby apartment complex around 2008, according to a neighbour.
Kimura was arrested at the scene of the incident on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business.
A 65-year-old woman who lives nearby saw Kimura and his mother weeding their garden about a month ago.
“I felt he was a good son,” she recalled. “He seemed to be a quiet person. He greeted me when we passed each other. He didn’t seem like the kind of person who could commit such an act.”
In his elementary school graduation book, Kimura expressed a desire to become a pastry chef or an inventor.
He wrote: “I want to make a lot of sweets that people will want to keep secret,” while explaining his idea for a chocolate confectionery.
A woman who was in the same year at Kimura’s elementary school said: “In elementary school, he was cheerful and showed leadership skills. But after entering junior high school, he suddenly stopped talking to anyone.”
According to a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) official in Kawanishi, Kimura, along with around 70 people, attended a Sept 24, 2022, meeting held by a then municipal assembly member affiliated with the LDP.
Following the meeting, Kimura asked the assembly member questions such as, “Are Kawanishi assembly members well-paid?”
“It was unusual for a young man in his 20s to attend such a meeting,” the official said. “He seemed to have a strong interest in politics.” THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
