Tokyo: Man Arrested After Throwing Firebombs at Japan’s Ruling Party HQ

A man was arrested after he threw several firebombs into the headquarters of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Tokyo on Saturday, according to reports from public broadcaster NHK and other Japanese media outlets. Although the attack caused alarm, no injuries were reported, authorities said.

The suspect, whose identity has not yet been revealed, drove his car into nearby fencing before launching the firebombs, according to reports. His motive remains unclear, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police have refrained from commenting as the investigation is still ongoing.

Public Dissatisfaction With LDP

As the country prepares to head to the polls in just over a week on October 27, this incident comes at a time of increasing public dissatisfaction with the LDP, largely due to a growing scandal involving dubious funding practices and suspected tax evasion by some of its politicians. These allegations have caused significant damage to the party’s reputation ahead of the crucial lower house parliamentary election set for October 27, 2024.

Despite the controversy, the ruling party has declined to issue any statements regarding the attack, deferring all inquiries to the police, according to said reports.

Political Climate Ahead of Elections

In an attempt to salvage the party’s image, the LDP recently selected Shigeru Ishiba as its new leader, replacing the previous leadership in the hopes of regaining voter confidence.

However, opinion polls show the party’s popularity has plummeted, even though it remains uncertain whether the LDP will lose its majority in the lower house. The opposition, while critical of the ruling party, remains splintered, making it difficult to predict the election’s outcome.

The ruling Liberal Democrats, who have largely dominated the nation’s politics since the end of World War II, face one of their most challenging elections to date.

Several politicians, particularly those tainted by the ongoing scandal, have lost the official backing of the LDP but continue to run as independent candidates in the upcoming election. Reports also note a rise in public displays of frustration, including rare heckling at campaign events, a behavior considered unusual in Japan’s typically respectful political culture.

A History of Violence and Scandal

Saturday’s attack is reminiscent of Japan’s political turmoil in recent years. The assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 still looms large over the political landscape. Abe was fatally shot while delivering a speech during a parliamentary election campaign. His assassin, who used a handmade firearm, claimed to have targeted Abe due to his resentment of the former leader’s alleged ties to the Unification Church, a religious group that the killer blamed for his family’s financial ruin.

Such connections between the LDP and the Unification Church have continued to surface, raising questions about the influence of outside groups on Japan’s political elite. Although Prime Minister Ishiba and other party leaders have sought to distance themselves from these allegations, the shadow of scandal continues to erode the party’s public support.

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