A Japanese court has sentenced Ryuji Kimura, 25, to 10 years in prison for throwing a homemade pipe bomb at Japanese former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a campaign event in 2023. Local media reports confirm the conviction.

Kimura was found guilty of attempted murder in the attack that occurred on April 15, 2023, at a small fishing port in Wakayama City. He faced five charges in total, including violations related to explosives, as reported by Kyodo News.

A central question in the trial was whether Kimura intended to kill. The Wakayama District Court determined that he was aware of the potential for causing fatalities with his actions. The court described the attack at an election event as a serious threat to democracy and a significant risk to public safety.

During the trial's opening session in early February, Kimura pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, asserting that he did not intend to harm Kishida. He claimed he was frustrated with Japan's electoral system and sought to attract public attention by targeting a prominent politician. Kishida was unharmed in the incident, but two people were injured. Kimura was apprehended at the scene.

This incident took place approximately a year after the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a campaign speech in Nara, another western Japanese city. Prosecutors contended that Kimura had the intent to kill, pointing out the potentially lethal nature of the bomb he used, and sought a 15-year sentence.

While gun-related crimes are uncommon in Japan due to stringent gun control laws, there has been an increase in notable knife attacks and incidents involving homemade weapons and explosives.

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