Japanese man who threw pipe bomb at ex-PM Kishida tells court he didn't intend to kill

TOKYO (AP) — A man who threw a homemade pipe bomb at former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a 2023 campaign event denied that he intended to kill the politician as his trial began Tuesday at a court in western Japan.

Ryuji Kimura, 25, is charged with attempted murder for the April 15, 2023 attack on Kishida at a small fishing port in the city of Wakayama, as well as four other charges including violations of laws controlling explosives and deadly weapons.

The then-prime minister was unhurt, but two people sustained minor injuries. Kimura was arrested on the spot.

At Tuesday's trial at the Wakayama District Court, Kimura pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, saying he didn't intend to kill Kishida, according to Japan's NHK public television and other media. They said Kimura admitted to making the bombs and other charges.

A ruling is expected later this month.

The attack on Kishida came about a year after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a campaign speech in Nara, another city in western Japan. That attack shocked the nation and prompted greater protection for dignitaries.

Gun-related crime is rare in Japan because of strict gun control laws, but there has been a series of high-profile knife attacks in recent years on subways and elsewhere, and there is growing concern about homemade guns and explosives.

Prosecutors said the bomb Kimura threw at Kishida was one of two he brought to the campaign event.

Social media postings later suggested Kimura had grievances about Japan’s election system.

Authorities found parts of the pipe bomb stuck in a container 60 meters (65 yards) away from the venue. Prosecutors say that it was potentially lethal.