Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been evacuated, unhurt, after a suspect threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb at an outdoor speech in western Japan on Saturday, according to domestic media reports.


A loud explosion was heard, but the PM took cover and was unharmed while police subdued a man at the scene, public broadcaster NHK said.

The incident occurred at the Saikazaki fishing harbour in Wakayama prefecture, some 65 kilometres south-west of Osaka city.

Former prime minister Shinzo Abe — the longest-serving leader of modern Japan — was assassinated with a homemade gun last July while campaigning for a parliamentary election, shocking the nation and prompting a review of security for politicians, who routinely press the flesh with the public.

Mr Kishida had just started to deliver the speech after touring the harbour when Saturday's incident occurred, NHK said.

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