Man imprisoned for attempting to murder former Japan PM

A man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to murder Japan’s former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in 2023.

Ryuji Kimura, 25, threw a pipe bomb at Kishida as the prime minister approached a crowd for a speech at an election event in Wakayama. Although Kishida was unharmed, the explosion from the homemade device caused minor injuries to a police officer and a bystander.

The attack shocked Japan, coming less than a year after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated at an outdoor campaign event. During questioning, Kimura claimed his intent wasn’t to kill Kishida but to protest the country’s election age laws, which he said prevented him from entering politics. In Japan, the minimum age to become a member of parliament is 25 for the House of Representatives and 30 for the House of Councillors.

Kimura further explained that he threw the bomb to draw attention to a civil lawsuit he filed in 2022, challenging the age restriction as unconstitutional—though the suit was dismissed. His defense argued that he should not face an attempted murder charge, as he did not expect the bomb to cause harm, suggesting a three-year prison sentence would be appropriate given the minor injuries. However, the court stated that the explosives were capable of causing fatal damage.

Presiding judge Keiko Fukushima highlighted that the attack on a sitting prime minister caused widespread anxiety in society. In addition to the attempted murder charge, Kimura was convicted of violating explosives and firearms control laws.

Kimura’s 10-year sentence is five years less than the term sought by prosecutors. While violent acts are rare in Japan, security concerns around politicians have intensified following Abe’s assassination. The attack on Kishida, coming less than a year later, raised questions about the adequacy of security measures for the nation’s leader at the time.