20-Year-Old Japanese Man Arrested for Breaking into Abe's Residence

A woman in her 20s broke into the residence of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and was arrested by the police. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Min Jun-young] A woman in her 20s who trespassed into the residence of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was arrested on the spot.

According to Kyodo News, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested 26-year-old Eriko Shimada on the 4th at 11 p.m. for unlawfully entering the garden of Prime Minister Abe's residence in Tomigaya, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.

At the time of the intrusion, Prime Minister Abe was at home, and Shimada was caught by police who responded after viewing security camera footage. During the interrogation, Shimada stated, "I have suffered from a long-standing troubled relationship with my parents," and "I thought that being arrested would allow me to 'reset' my life."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abe plans to declare a state of emergency targeting the Tokyo metropolitan area, including Tokyo, due to a sharp increase in confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection in Japan, raising concerns about the collapse of the healthcare system. The shortage of hospital beds has become a serious issue as confirmed cases surge in Tokyo and other areas.