It is glaringly obvious that the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during an election campaign speech--such a shocking incident--was a devastating and irrecoverable failure of the nation's police authorities, which are responsible for the safety of VIPs.

The government is responsible for making a swift and exhaustive investigation and assessment to clarify the factors behind this utter security fiasco and explain the findings to the public.

Police have refused to disclose detailed information about their plans to protect the former prime minister on that day, citing possible effects on future operations. But video footage and witness testimonies of what occurred have raised many questions.

First, how was the location of Abe’s speech chosen and determined? Abe was gunned down on a street in front of a train station in Nara where he was visible from all directions. A large election campaign van often used for such an occasion was not used for whatever reason.

The van would have ensured a certain distance between the speaker on the vehicle and the audience and provided a commanding view of the surroundings. There was bustling traffic behind Abe as he spoke. 

We need to know what discussions about security arrangements took place between the Nara prefectural police department and the Liberal Democratic Party.

When the suspect walked into the street behind Abe, nobody stopped him. Even after the first shot was fired, security officers failed to take immediate action to protect Abe.

These facts raise many questions, including whether the security officers were properly placed, whether the roles and responsibilities of individual officers were clearly defined and whether they had been adequately trained to deal with such situations.

Abe’s visit to Nara Prefecture was determined in the evening the day before the incident. Prefectural police hastily developed security plans, which were approved by Tomoaki Onizuka, chief of the prefectural police department.

Onizuka said the department will work with the National Police Agency to identify problems with the security plans and operations. But the agency’s top officials, including the Commissioner General, should be held strictly responsible for the debacle.

It is necessary to get independent experts involved in the process to ensure a fair and reliable review.

In March, the Sapporo District Court ordered the Hokkaido authorities to pay compensation to the two residents who had separately filed lawsuits over an incident three years ago in which they were removed and harassed by police officers while heckling Abe, then prime minister, during his election campaign speech in Sapporo.

Some say this ruling had affected the security operations by police in Nara. But the two situations were completely different.

Verbal protests against policies and lawless violence against politicians must be clearly differentiated.

Despite a proliferation of various new media, political activities on the streets remain important opportunities for politicians to connect and communicate directly with citizens. That is why politicians value such activities.

The tough and vital challenge the assassination has posed not just to police but to Japanese society as a whole is how to ensure that politicians and citizens can engage in interactions and discussions freely and safely.

Tetsuya Yamagami, the arrested gunman, has told investigators that his family had suffered financial hardships because his mother joined the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, widely known as the Unification Church, and made donations to the religious group.

He has reportedly said he targeted Abe because he thought the former prime minister was connected to the religious group.

At a July 11 news conference, Tomihiro Tanaka, president of the Japanese branch of the group, confirmed that the suspect’s mother is a member but added that Abe was not affiliated with the organization, only saying the former prime minister had expressed support for the group’s movement.

None of the facts concerning the suspect’s or Abe’s relations with the group offers justification for the act of violence. The international attention the assassination has drawn, however, gives reason for delving deep into the background.

--The Asahi Shimbun, July 12