Japanese prime minister evacuated from campaign event after explosion

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated from a campaign event at a western Japanese port on Saturday after a man allegedly threw an explosive device at him.

No injuries have been reported from the explosion, and a young man was apprehended at the scene, according to officials.

Videos from the event appear to show a small device landing near Kishida, who can then be seen running away from the area with security. Footage also shows a man in the crowd being tackled by police. The device appears to go off seconds later.

Kishida continued campaigning later Saturday.

“Elections are the core of democracy, and we should never tolerate threats or obstruction by violence,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said. 

The incident occurred during the final runup to Japan’s elections, which are April 23.

It also comes just months after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated using a homemade firearm during a speech in July.

Abe’s assassination shocked Japan and sparked calls for increased security for high-profile figures and further restrictions on firearms. Multiple police and security officials resigned in the following weeks.

Foreign ministers from the G7 countries — the U.S., France, the UK, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan — as well as the EU, will meet in Karuizawa on Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.