The Japanese National Police Agency has stepped up security measures for politicians' street speeches following the shooting incident involving former U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 15th, the Japanese National Police Agency instructed police forces nationwide the previous day to strengthen vigilance around locations of street speeches and to thoroughly utilize bulletproof equipment.
Although Japan prohibits firearm possession, there have been confirmed terrorist attacks targeting politicians, such as the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by gunfire in July 2022. In Abe's case, the assassination scene was shared on social networking services (SNS), leading to criticism that the security for important figures was excessively lax. Recalling that situation, Japanese police authorities have taken the opportunity of the recent shooting of former President Trump in the U.S. to conduct a renewed review.
In Japan, an explosive attack targeting Prime Minister Fumio Kishida occurred last April during a House of Representatives election campaign. In that incident, Prime Minister Kishida avoided injury by moving away before the explosion.
Following the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe, the National Police Agency has strengthened measures against firearm attacks, implementing transparent bulletproof partitions and bulletproof shelters for important figures' evacuation. Additionally, they have requested each political party to conduct political campaigns primarily indoors and to maintain appropriate distances from the audience.
A police official pointed out the difficulties in protecting important figures in relation to the shooting incident involving former President Trump, stating, as reported by the Yomiuri Shimbun, that "there are cases where (politicians) insist on outdoor speeches, so it is necessary to further enhance security for important figures."
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