[News Terms] Japan's Kishida Bomb Terror Revives the 'Lonely Wolf'

Individual Commits Crime Harboring Social Grievances Without Organization
Crime Prediction Difficult... Possible Imitation of Abe Shooting

Tension is rising in Japan ahead of next month's Group of Seven (G7) summit as another attack targeting the prime minister occurred nine months after the assassination attempt on former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Similar to the Abe shooting incident, this case was also revealed to be a lone attack without any backing organization, bringing the issue of so-called 'Lone Wolf' offenders?isolated individuals who channel their anger into crime?back into the spotlight.

At around 11:30 a.m. on the 15th, Kimura Ryuji, who carried out a terrorist attack with a homemade bomb just before Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began his speech after completing an on-site inspection in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, was arrested at the scene.
[Image source=Kyodo News and Yonhap News]

On the 17th, Japanese media outlets including TV Asahi reported, citing police sources and expert interviews, that the suspect in the attack on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the 15th is highly likely a 'Lone Wolf.' The 24-year-old suspect, Ryuji Kimura, threw a cylindrical homemade bomb targeting the prime minister at a speech event held in Wakayama City but was subdued.

Also called 'Lone Offenders,' Lone Wolves are individuals who do not belong to any specific organization and carry out crimes alone due to personal grievances against the government or society. Since they do not join international terrorist groups or adhere to particular ideologies, their crimes are almost impossible to predict in advance, making counterterrorism measures much more difficult than for typical terrorism.

Experts analyze that crimes committed by Lone Wolves reflect an explosion of dissatisfaction with widespread unfairness in Japanese society. Nobuo Komiya, a criminology professor at Rissho University, wrote in a column, "In the case of the Abe shooting, resentment toward religious groups was repeatedly mentioned, but even if there were religious or political issues in the background, those were merely triggers, not the essence. The same applies to the Kishida attack. The root cause likely lies in serious wealth disparity and poverty issues in Japanese society," he pointed out.

Yu Inamura, head of the Japan Counter Intelligence Association and an expert in counterintelligence, said, "According to reports, the suspect is an ordinary man who lived quietly and calmly. Recently, incidents involving Lone Wolves show that they outwardly live normal or inconspicuous lives while unilaterally harboring resentment against society. If these individuals had opportunities for social salvation, the incidents might have been prevented," he noted.

Yasuyuki Deguchi, a criminal psychology professor at Tokyo Future University, also told the media, "Since this terror attack occurred at a campaign event, it appears to be an imitation crime of the Abe shooting. However, considering the low lethality of the explosive device used, it seems the act was committed not to directly harm the prime minister but to cause significant social disturbance or satisfy distorted self-display desires," he explained.

In Japan, Lone Wolves continue to target places with large audiences such as speech venues, prompting calls to strengthen security accordingly. Factors that lead individuals with criminal motives to decide on attacks include 'easily accessible locations' and 'low surveillance areas.' In this case, the speech venue was advantageous for planning the crime because it was easy to monitor the prime minister's movements in advance, had a large crowd making identification difficult, and did not conduct prior baggage checks.

Above all, the attack targeting the prime minister ahead of next month's G7 summit has sparked criticism over 'security gaps' in Japan. After the Abe shooting, the National Police Agency ordered a comprehensive review and revision of security principles, but Wakayama City, where the incident occurred, is a region where the prime minister rarely gave speeches, so local police, not the National Police Agency, prepared security alone.

Misuru Fukuda, a professor at Nihon University's Department of Crisis Management, said, "There should have been distance maintained between the audience and the prime minister, and baggage inspections conducted beforehand. The lessons from the Abe shooting were not utilized at all. Now, the risk of the summit becoming a target for anti-summit groups or terrorist organizations has increased. More copycat crimes may occur in the future," she expressed concern.

Meanwhile, the arrested suspect continues to exercise the right to remain silent, so it is expected to take time to clarify the motive behind the crime. The suspect has refrained from speaking, stating, "I want to talk to my lawyer."