Attack in Japan raises alarm about VIP security weeks before G7 summit

FILE PHOTO: Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers a speech to support his ruling party’s candidate in a local election in Saiki, Oita Prefecture, Japan April 16, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) - An explosive thrown at Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at an election rally on Saturday has raised alarming questions about the state of VIP security, less than a year after a former premier was gunned down and weeks before Japan hosts G7 leaders.

Kishida was about to speak at a by-election campaign event at a fishing harbour in Wakayama City, western Japan, when a smoking metal cylinder landed within a metre of him.