Man Who Attacked Japan’s Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Sentenced to 10 Years

Man Who Attacked Japan’s Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Sentenced to 10 Years

Tokyo, February 19  : A Japanese court on Wednesday sentenced a man named Ryuji Kimura to 10 years in prison for attacking Japan’s former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in 2023. Local media reports state that Kimura was found guilty of attempted murder.

Kimura, 25, threw a homemade pipe bomb at Kishida on April 15, 2023, at a small fishing port in Wakayama, western Japan. Kimura was also convicted of four other crimes related to explosives and weapons, according to Kyodo News.

The court confirmed that Kimura was aware of the potential for fatality in his attack. The Wakayama District Court's ruling stated that the attack posed a serious challenge to democracy and created a significant danger to many people. The court expressed doubts about Kimura’s intent to kill, but he denied the attempted murder charges, claiming that he had no intention of killing anyone. He said he was dissatisfied with Japan's election system and wanted to draw public attention by targeting a famous politician.

While Kishida was unharmed in the attack, two people sustained minor injuries. Kimura was arrested at the scene.

The attack occurred almost a year after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a campaign speech in Nara in 2022.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Kimura had a murderous intent, noting that the bomb could have been lethal, and they demanded a 15-year sentence.

Gun-related crimes are rare in Japan due to strict gun control laws, but there have been recent high-profile knife attacks and incidents involving homemade weapons and explosives.