THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
April 18, 2023 at 14:45 JST
WAKAYAMA--Police found a possible component of the explosive device hurled at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a fishing port here far from where it detonated, according to sources close to the investigation.
Investigators discovered the cylindrical object on April 16 caught on a net hung over a fish tank some 40 meters from where the device exploded, showing the powerful force of the blast.
Kishida, uninjured in the attack, was visiting the Saikazaki fishing port on April 15 to campaign in a Lower House by-election.
Police also spotted a dent in the wall of a warehouse standing next to the tank, possibly made by the impact of the object propelled by the detonation.
Nut-like objects and what appears to be the tip of the exploded cylinder were also found at the scene, according to a local community member who helped police with the on-site investigation.
Police are also checking security camera footage taken from local train stations and buses as Ryuji Kimura, the suspect arrested on the spot, possibly arrived at the site using public transportation.
Police also learned that Kimura, 24, was unemployed after interviewing his mother and brother who lived with him at a residence in Kawanishi, Hyogo Prefecture.
Investigators also seized steel pipes and powder believed to be used in making explosives at his home.
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