Japanese Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Pipe Bomb Attack on Former PM Kishida

Ryuji Kimura was convicted of attempted murder for throwing a homemade explosive at Fumio Kishida during a 2023 campaign event in Wakayama.

Ryuji Kimura, 25, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to assassinate former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida with a pipe bomb in April 2023.
The attack occurred during a campaign event at a fishing port in Wakayama, injuring a police officer and a bystander, though Kishida was unharmed.
Kimura denied intending to kill Kishida, claiming he sought public attention to protest Japan’s electoral system, but the court ruled he acted with intent to kill.
The attack was deemed a severe threat to democracy, taking place less than a year after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's assassination during a campaign speech.
Prosecutors highlighted the lethality of the homemade explosive, while Kimura’s defense argued for a lighter sentence, asserting his actions were not premeditated murder.