International

Japanese police yesterday admitted there were “problems” with security for former prime minister Shinzo Abe, as his body arrived at his family home a day after he was assassinated on the campaign trail. The country was in mourning for Japan’s longest-serving premier and well-wishers gathered to pay their respects, with senior politicians dressed in black arriving at Abe’s Tokyo residence to offer condolences. But candidates also continued campaigning for the upper house election today, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida insisting: “We must never allow violence to suppress speech during elections, which are the foundation of democracy.” The murder of Japan’s best-known politician has rattled the country and sent shockwaves around the world, particularly given the nation’s low levels of violent crime and strict gun laws. Police are still piecing together details of the man who opened fire at close range on Friday, but the 41-year-old named as Tetsuya Yamaguchi has confessed to killing the former premier, motivated by a belief Abe was linked to an unspecified organisation. The tearful head of police in the Nara region where Abe was killed admitted yesterday there were “undeniable” flaws in security for the former leader. “I believe it is undeniable that there were problems with the guarding and safety measures for former prime minister Abe,” said Tomoaki Onizuka, head of the Nara prefectural police, pledging a “thorough investigation.” “In all the years since I became a police officer in 1995...there is no greater remorse, no bigger regret than this,” he said. Early yesterday afternoon, Abe’s body arrived at his home, where mourners like Tetsuya Hamada gathered to offer prayers and flowers. “I am stunned that things like this still take place in Japan,” he told AFP. “It makes me sad. How it is possible that this happened in broad daylight?” Japan’s upper house election will go ahead as planned today, and Kishida calling on supporters to “help us until the very end.” But Abe’s death cast a long shadow, and at the scene of his murder, 52-year-old Kayoko Ueda was wiping away tears and described herself as “distraught”. “I couldn’t believe something like this could actually happen in Japan,” she said. Yamagami’s motives remain unclear, with police declining so far to identify the organisation he believed Abe had links to. They are investigating claims Yamagami served in Japan’s navy, and said he appeared to have used a handmade gun. National broadcaster NHK said he described months of planning for the attack, including an original plot involving explosives that was later shelved in favour of building guns. Citing police sources, the station said Yamagami also claimed to have scouted out Abe at other speeches. Security at local campaign events in Japan can be relatively relaxed, but given Abe’s profile, questions have been raised about whether measures to protect him were too lax. Dramatic footage of the attack showed Yamaguchi, dressed in a grey shirt and brown trousers, was able to approach Abe from behind without being intercepted, and draw a weapon from a bag. He appeared to fire two shots, each producing a cloud of smoke. Doctors who treated Abe said he sustained multiple wounds to his neck and the internal damage from the shooting reached as deep as his heart. He died of blood loss, despite receiving massive transfusions. International reaction to Abe’s death was swift and stark, with US President Joe Biden saying he was “stunned, outraged and deeply saddened”, and ordering flags on US government buildings to fly at half-mast. Even regional powers with whom Abe had clashed expressed condolences. Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was “deeply saddened” by the killing, which South Korea’s president called an “unacceptable act”.

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) could receive a surge of support in an upper house election today following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the party’s leading statesman and power broker. Abe, Japan’s longest-serving modern leader, was gunned down on Friday during a speech in support of a local candidate in the western city of Nara — a killing the political establishment condemned as an attack on democracy itself. Elections for seats in parliament’s less powerful upper house are typically seen as a referendum on the sitting government, and the latest opinion polls already pointed to a strong showing for the ruling bloc led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida — an Abe protege. As the nation mourns, both the LDP and its junior coalition partner Komeito could gain from a potential wave of sympathy votes, political analysts said. “The ruling LDP-Komeito coalition was already on course for a solid victory,” James Brady of the Teneo consultancy said in a note.”A wave of sympathy votes now could boost the margin of victory.” Campaigning was halted on Friday after Abe’s killing, but politicians resumed pre-election activities yesterday. There was an increased police presence when Kishida appeared at a campaign event in a city southwest of Tokyo and a metal detection scanner was installed at the venue — an unusual security measure in Japan. A strong showing at the polls could help Kishida consolidate his rule, giving the former banker from Hiroshima a chance to carry out his goal of boosting defence spending. It might also allow him to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution — something even the hawkish Abe was never able to achieve. “In the months ahead, the government is certain to seek to strengthen domestic security,” Brady said. “By undermining the public’s general sense of safety and order, the event could also add further momentum to those key Abe causes like defence build-up and constitutional revision,” he added. Polls last week showed the LDP winning at least 60 of the 125 seats being contested today, compared with the 55 it now holds, allowing it to maintain the majority in the chamber that it holds with Komeito. Reaching 69 seats in the upper house would give the LDP a majority, a threshold that had been seen as a stretch prior to Abe’s killing. Kishida, once on the more dovish side of the LDP, has shifted towards the right and said parts of the constitution may have elements that “are outdated and lacking”. Opinion polls show a majority of voters favour greater military strength. But even a strong LDP performance will be overshadowed by the murder of Abe, who as leader of its largest faction still wielded considerable strength over policy and personnel decisions. His death raises the spectre of a power vacuum and potential turmoil within the party, analysts said. The small, populist Japan Innovation Party, which gained seats in a general election last year, could siphon off votes from the LDP. But since the party also backs constitutional revision, any advances it makes would be likely to bolster the LDP’s reform goals.

 * Former premier shot Friday during campaign speech * Political violence, gun crime extremely rare in Japan * Security measures ramp up ahead of Sunday elections Police acknowledged security flaws on Saturday in the Japanese city of Nara where former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated, as a motorcade carrying his body arrived at his home in the capital Tokyo. Mourners gathered at his residence and at the scene of Friday's tragedy in the western city of Nara, where Japan's longest-serving modern leader was gunned down in a rare act of political violence while making a campaign speech. Police arrested a 41-year-old man immediately after Abe was shot at close range with a homemade gun. The local police force manning the campaign event said on Saturday that there had been shortcomings in the security arrangements. "We can't deny that there were problems with the security plan given how things ended," Nara prefectural police chief Tomoaki Onizuka told a news conference. "I feel a grave sense of responsibility," he said, adding that police would analyse what exactly went wrong and implement any necessary changes. Dignitaries in Japan often travel with modest security details focused mainly on direct physical threats rather than by heavily armed personnel braced for firearms attacks seen in places such as the United States. On Friday, Nippon Television quoted Nara police as saying Abe was protected at the rally by one armed specialised police officer and some other local officers. Nara police declined to say how many police officers were handling Abe's security. Elections for seats in Japan's upper house of parliament are going ahead as scheduled on Sunday, with the vote expected to deliver victory to the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, an Abe protege. Kishida was back on the campaign trail visiting regional constituencies after making an emergency return to Tokyo on Friday after the shooting. A metal detection scanner, not normally seen at election events in largely crime-free Japan, was installed at a site in the city of Fujiyoshida where Kishida was due to give a campaign speech. There was also a heavy police presence. In Nara, some 450 km southwest of Tokyo, a stream of people queued up to lay flowers on a table beside a photograph of Abe. "I'm just shocked that this kind of thing happened in Nara," said Natsumi Niwa, a 50-year-old housewife, after laying flowers with her 10-year-old son near the scene of the killing outside a downtown train station. Niwa said Abe, a conservative and architect of the "Abenomics" policies aimed at reflating the economy, had inspired the name of her son, Masakuni. Abe used to hail Japan as a "beautiful nation". "Kuni" means nation in Japanese. A night vigil is due to be held on Monday. Abe's funeral will take place on Tuesday, attended by close friends, media said. There was no immediate word on any public memorial service. Police were scrambling to piece together details of the suspect's motive and his preparations for the crime. The suspect believed the former Japanese leader was linked to a religious group he blamed for his mother's financial ruin, police told local media on Saturday, without identifying the group. He spent months plotting the attack, even attending other Abe campaign events, including one a day earlier some 200 km away, media reported. Analysts said the gun he used was easy to make from readily available materials such as wood and metal pipes, showing the difficulty in eliminating such threats even in a country where tough laws mean it is rare for citizens to buy or own firearms. Abe's killing "heightens the prospect for stronger turnout and greater support for his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)", in Sunday's election, Eurasia Group analysts wrote in a note. The LDP, where Abe retained considerable influence, had already been expected to gain seats before the assassination. Abe, 67, served twice as prime minister, stepping down citing ill health on both occasions. But he remained a member of parliament and influential leader in the LDP after stepping down for the second time in 2020. A strong election performance by the LDP "could catalyse Kishida to push for Abe's unfulfilled goal of amending Japan's constitution to allow for a stronger role for the military", James Brady, vice president at advisory firm Teneo, wrote in a note. Kishida visited Abe's residence in Tokyo to pay his respects on Saturday, the Kyodo news agency reported, alongside mourners clutching flowers and party officials who bowed as the hearse carrying his body arrived. Abe's death has drawn condolences from across political divides, and from around the world. The Quad, a group of countries aimed at countering China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region which Abe was instrumental in setting up, expressed shock at the assassination in a joint statement. "We will honour Prime Minister Abe's memory by redoubling our work towards a peaceful and prosperous region," said the group, which includes Japan, India, Australia and the United States. Chinese President Xi Jinping also paid tribute to Abe, who he said worked hard to improve relations between the neighbours, Chinese state media reported.

Britain’s Labour party has threatened a bid to force Prime Minister Boris Johnson out of Downing Street immediately, following his resignation in the face of a cabinet uprising. Johnson quit as leader of the ruling Conservative party on Thursday, after a frenzy of nearly 60 resignations in less than 48 hours in opposition to his scandal-hit reign. However, the 58-year-old, whose three-year premiership has been defined by Britain’s departure from the European Union and the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, said he would stay on until his successor is found. Former finance minister Rishi Sunak, whose resignation on Tuesday was instrumental in Johnson’s demise, meanwhile launched his bid for the top job. “Let’s restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country,” the multimillionaire said, presenting a slick video on social media at the start of what could be a months-long campaign. The defence minister, Ben Wallace, who is also expected to declare, according to the Daily Telegraph, and Sunak are among the early frontrunners, a YouGov poll of Tory members suggested. However, calls mounted for Johnson to leave straight away and for an acting leader to be appointed in the interim. Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said the main opposition party aimed to trigger a vote of no confidence in parliament if the Tories do not get rid of Johnson immediately. “He’s a proven liar who’s engulfed in sleaze and we can’t have another couple of months of this,” she told BBC radio. “If they don’t, we will call a no-confidence vote because it’s pretty clear he hasn’t got the confidence of the House (of Commons) or the British public.” To do so, Labour would need the support of dozens of Conservative MPs. However, the strategy is fraught as it could trigger a general election, and the danger of Tory MPs losing their seats, if Johnson is defeated. Johnson’s spokesman said there was no question of Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab taking over as caretaker. “The prime minister is acting in line with convention. He remains prime minister until a new party leader is in place and the work of the government will continue whilst that takes place,” he told journalists. A timetable for the leadership contest is expected on Monday, with the winner installed in time for the party’s annual conference in early October. As well as Sunak, Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat and Attorney-General Suella Braverman have also both officially announced their candidatures. Former health and foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, who lost to Johnson in 2019, was “virtually certain” to run again, a source close to Hunt told British media. In a defiant resignation speech in Downing Street on Thursday, Johnson said he was “sad ... to be giving up the best job in the world”. However, he said he initially refused to surrender to his “herd” of Tory critics by claiming a personal mandate he won by a landslide in December 2019. Even while eyeing the exit, Johnson sought to steady the ship, making several appointments to replace departed cabinet members. At a first meeting of his hastily convened new top team, Johnson confirmed his lame-duck status by saying “major fiscal decisions should be left for the next prime minister”, Downing Street said. Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid prompted the exodus by quitting late on Tuesday, just as Johnson apologised for appointing a senior colleague facing sexual assault claims to a prominent role. Chris Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip last week following accusations he had drunkenly groped two men. Downing Street officials eventually conceded that Johnson had known about other allegations against Pincher back in 2019, and many ministers recoiled at having to defend the PM yet again. As late as Wednesday night, Johnson – whose landslide 2019 win was the biggest Tory victory since the heyday of Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s – had been defiantly clinging to power. However, he was forced to concede his time was up after another round of resignations on Thursday morning and warnings of a second no-confidence vote next week by Tory MPs.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa lost her appeal against a conviction for cyber libel, her news website Rappler said yesterday, in the latest blow for the veteran journalist. Ressa, 58, and her former colleague Rey Santos Jr face lengthy jail sentences, but the company said they will “avail of all legal remedies available to them”, including taking the case to the Supreme Court. The ruling comes less than two weeks after Philippine authorities ordered Rappler to shut down ahead of outgoing president Rodrigo Duterte’s last day in office. Yesterday Rappler described the decision to uphold the 2020 conviction as “unfortunate”, saying it “weakens the ability of journalists to hold power to account”. “What is ultimately at stake is our democracy whose strength rests on a media that is not threatened by the state nor intimidated by forces out to silence critical voices,” Rappler said. Ressa, who is currently in Manila, has long been a vocal critic of Duterte and the deadly drug war he launched in 2016, triggering what media advocates say is a grinding series of criminal charges, probes and online attacks against her and Rappler. She and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October for their efforts to “safeguard freedom of expression”. In a statement yesterday, Norwegian Nobel Committee chair Berit Reiss-Andersen said: “The criticism voiced through Rappler is well within the freedom of expression in a democratic society. I am gravely concerned that Maria Ressa is being prosecuted for exercising her rights of expression.”  Ressa, who is also a US citizen, is fighting at least seven court cases, including the cyber libel case, for which she has been on bail and faces up to nearly seven years in prison. Rappler, which faces eight cases, had to fight for survival as Duterte’s government accused it of violating a constitutional ban on foreign ownership in securing funding, as well as tax evasion. The cyber libel law was introduced in 2012, the same year Rappler was founded. Its use against journalists was “troubling”, said Jonathan de Santos, chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines. He called on Congress to descriminalise cyber libel, arguing that it was “no longer compatible with our constitution”. Just days before Duterte left office, the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (PSEC) ordered Rappler to shut down for violating “constitutional and statutory restrictions on foreign ownership in mass media”. The news organisation is accused of allowing foreigners to take control of its website through its parent company Rappler Holdings’ issuance of “depositary receipts”. Under the constitution, investment in media is reserved for Filipinos or Filipino-controlled entities. Rappler said the PSEC’s decision “effectively confirmed the shutdown” of the company and vowed to appeal, describing the proceedings as “highly irregular”. Ressa said the company would continue to operate as they followed the legal process, but expressed hope that the situation would improve under Duterte’s successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. However, the company’s future and its battle in the country’s highly politicised legal system under Marcos Jr’s presidency is uncertain. Marcos Jr, who took over from Duterte on June 30, has given few clues about his views on the website and the broader issue of freedom of speech. Activists fear he could worsen the situation for human rights and freedom of speech in the country.

The fatal shooting of former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe from close range at a political rally yesterday has raised questions about protection for high-profile figures in a country where political violence and gun crimes are extremely rare. Dignitaries in Japan often travel with modest security details focused mainly on direct physical threats rather than being protected by the heavily-armed personnel braced for firearms attacks seen in places like the United States. Abe, 67, was campaigning in the western city of Nara for Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidates ahead of an election tomorrow when he was shot, with Nippon TV saying the assailant was about 3m (10’) away. A 41-year-old was detained at the scene and police said the suspect had used a homemade gun. Police said other guns and explosives were found at the suspect’s home and that he had admitted to carrying out the attack. Officials from the Nara prefectoral police department told reporters that the request for security at the event was “sudden” and that the department would look into whether security was sufficient and take appropriate action. Nippon Television quoted Nara police as saying Abe was protected at yesterday’s rally by one armed specialised police officer and some other local officers. Nara police declined to say how many police officers were handling Abe’s security. When he was shot, Abe was standing at an intersection outside a train station, speaking to a crowd of hundreds as buses and vans passed behind his exposed back on the road where the assailant appeared. Several commentators said security around the former premier should have been stronger. “Anyone could have hit him from that distance,” Masazumi Nakajima, a former Japanese police detective, told Japan’s TBS television. “I think that security was a little too weak.” “The person needs to be covered from all directions,” Koichi Ito, a VIP security specialist, told national broadcaster NHK. “If this kind of thing isn’t carried out 100%, it’s no good.” Japanese officials, including former prime ministers, are protected by a special branch of the Tokyo police. The armed plainclothes officers known as SPs – or Security Police – go through a rigorous screening, including expertise in hand-to-hand combat. They typically stay close to the politician they are protecting to safeguard against direct physical threats. There were just 10 firearm-related incidents in Japan last year, only one of them fatal, according to the National Police Agency. Abe’s assassination was the first of a sitting or former Japanese premier since the 1930s during the days of Japan’s pre-war militarism. Former prime ministers Saito Makoto and Takahashi Korekiyo were assassinated on the same day in 1936, while then-Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai was assassinated in 1932. Paul Nadeau, who has been on campaign events with Abe in the past, said that stump speeches like yesterday’s are “almost intimate events”. “The public is close by, they’re usually filling a town square in front of the train station,” said Nadeau, who previously worked for an LDP official and is now an adjunct professor at Temple University of Japan in Tokyo. “You never got any feeling of insecurity or danger or anything like that.” Iwao Horii, an LDP member who was standing next to Abe when he was shot, said preparations for the event were not unusual with about 15 party staff tasked with crowd control and security handled by the local police. All major parties announced suspensions of election campaign activities after the shooting. Several recent campaign events attended by Abe, who was Japan’s longest serving prime minister and one of the country’s most influential political figures, had drawn large crowds. One ruling party source told Reuters on condition of anonymity that despite Abe’s high profile, the level of security he was provided had likely dropped since he left office in 2020. Japan has very tight gun control laws. The suspected gunman shot at Abe with a device that had a pistol grip and two pipes covered in black electrical tape, according to photos and video images of the incident. Grant Newsham, a retired US Marine officer and former diplomat at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies, said he would expect more caution and somewhat tighter protection of senior politicians in Japan following the assassination. “Questions will be being asked about security. Clearly security would have been far tighter for, say, (Prime Minister Fumio) Kishida,” added Robert Ward, a London-based senior fellow for Japanese Security Studies at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “But proximity to voters is a feature of Japanese campaigning. I’ve been at campaign rallies and the public is close. Perhaps this will change. If so, it would be a shame.”

World leaders condemned Friday's assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, while paying tribute to him as a great leader. Here are some key comments: Britain British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the leadership role taken by the former premier, saying the UK stands with Japan "at this dark and sad time". "Incredibly sad news about Shinzo Abe. His global leadership through unchartered times will be remembered by many," Johnson tweeted. In a message of condolence sent to Japan's Emperor Naruhito, Queen Elizabeth II said she too was "deeply saddened" by the news of Abe's death, adding that she had "fond memories of meeting Mr Abe and his wife" when they visited the UK in 2016. Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin called the death an "irreplaceable loss". In a telegram to Abe's family, Putin called Abe an "outstanding statesman" who had done a lot to develop "good neighbourly ties between our countries". South Korea South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol termed the killing an "unacceptable act of crime". "I extend my consolation and condolences to his family and the Japanese people for having lost their longest-serving prime minister and a respected politician," Yoon said. France French President Emmanuel Macron said "Japan has lost a great prime minister". Abe had "dedicated his life to his country and worked for stability in the world", he said in a tweet. Germany German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed shock and solidarity with Japan over the killing. "The deadly attack on Shinzo Abe has left me aghast and deeply sad," the German leader tweeted. "I extend deep sympathy to his family, my colleague Fumio Kishida and our Japanese friends." India Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a day of national mourning in honour of Abe. "I am shocked and saddened beyond words at the tragic demise of one of my dearest friends, Shinzo Abe," Modi wrote on Twitter. "We stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment." Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky extended his condolences to Abe's family. "Horrible news of a brutal assassination of former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe. I am extending my deepest condolences to his family and the people of Japan at this difficult time. This heinous act of violence has no excuse," he tweeted. United States US President Joe Biden said he was "stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened" by the assassination. "This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him," Biden said in a statement. "Even at the moment he was attacked, he was engaged in the work of democracy." Former president Donald Trump also weighed in, saying the detained assassin "will hopefully be dealt with swiftly and harshly". Secretary of State Antony Blinken mourned Abe as a visionary leader who boosted relations between the two allies. Meeting his Japanese and South Korean counterparts jointly at a G20 meeting in Bali, Blinken said Abe "brought the relationship between our countries, the United States and Japan, to new heights". European Union "The brutal and cowardly murder" of Abe "shocks the world", European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen tweeted. "I will never understand the brutal killing of this great man," said European Council President Charles Michel in a separate tweet. The Netherlands Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte termed the attack "cowardly", and said his thoughts were with Abe's loved ones and the Japanese people. "At today's cabinet meeting we paused to reflect on this dark day for Japanese democracy. I have fond memories of our friendship and the work we did together," he said. Italy Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said that his country was "shocked by the terrible attack that hits Japan and its free democratic debate." Turkey "I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, in an armed attack. I condemn those who carried out this heinous attack," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. China The Chinese embassy in Japan said it was "shocked" by the shooting. "During his tenure, former Prime Minister Abe made contributions to the improvement and development of China-Japan relations. We express our condolences on his passing and express sympathy and solicitude for his family," an embassy spokesperson said. Australia "Shocking news from Japan that former PM Shinzo Abe has been shot," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tweeted after the attack. "Our thoughts are with his family and the people of Japan at this time." Indonesia Indonesian President Joko Widodo extended condolences on Twitter. "We will always remember his contributions in strengthening RI-Japan cooperation," he wrote. "May the family of PM Abe and the Japanese people be given strength in this difficult time." United Nations UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply saddened by the horrific killing", adding that he would "always remember his collegiality and commitment to multilateralism". Brazil Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro expressed "extreme indignation" at the killing and declared three days of official mourning in solidarity with Japan. Bolsonaro described Abe as a "brilliant leader" and "great friend of Brazil" in a tweet that included a photo of the two men shaking hands at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 2019. "Let his murder be punished rigorously. We are with Japan," the far-right leader tweeted. Brazil is home to the largest Japanese community outside of the archipelago, with about 1.9 million immigrants and descendants. Canada Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Abe's assassination "incredibly shocking". "The world has lost a great man of vision, and Canada has lost a close friend," he said, offering condolences to Abe's widow and the people of Japan.

* PM Kishida denounces attack on "foundation of democracy" * Police arrest suspect at the scene of attack * Police say attacker used homemade gun * Political violence rare, guns tightly controlled in Japan Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving leader of modern Japan, was gunned down on Friday while campaigning for a parliamentary election, shocking a country where guns are tightly controlled and political violence almost unthinkable. Abe, 67, was pronounced dead around five and a half hours after the shooting in the city of Nara. Police arrested a 41-year-old man and said the weapon was a homemade gun. "I am simply speechless over the news of Abe's death," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Abe's protege, told reporters. Earlier, as Abe still lay in hospital where doctors tried to revive him, Kishida struggled to keep his emotions in check. "This attack is an act of brutality that happened during the elections - the very foundation of our democracy - and is absolutely unforgivable," he said. Abe had been making a campaign speech outside a train station when two shots rang out. Security officials were then seen tackling a man in a grey T-shirt and beige trousers. "There was a loud bang and then smoke," businessman Makoto Ichikawa, who was at the scene, told Reuters. "The first shot, no one knew what was going on, but after the second shot, what looked like special police tackled him." Kyodo news service published a photograph of Abe lying face-up on the street by a guardrail, blood on his white shirt. People were crowded around him, one administering heart massage. Abe was taken to hospital in cardiopulmonary arrest and showing no vital signs. He was declared dead at 5:03 p.m. (0803 GMT), having bled to death from deep wounds to the heart and the right side of his neck. He had received more than 100 units of blood in transfusions over four hours, Hidetada Fukushima, the professor in charge of emergency medicine at Nara Medical University Hospital, told a televised news conference. Nara police said the shooter, identified in the media as Tetsuya Yamagami, was a Nara resident and had worked at Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Forces for three years but now appeared to be unemployed. The police said they were investigating whether he had acted alone. The suspect said he bore a grudge against a "specific organisation" and believed Abe was part of it, and that his grudge was not about politics, the police said, adding it was not clear if the unnamed organisation actually existed. Members of the public laid flowers near the spot where Abe fell. TV Asahi reported that Abe's body would be transferred to his Tokyo home on Saturday. It was the first killing of a sitting or former Japanese leader since a 1936 coup attempt, when several figures including two ex-premiers were assassinated. Post-war Japan prides itself on its orderly and open democracy. Senior Japanese politicians are accompanied by armed security agents but often get close to the public, especially during political campaigns when they make roadside speeches and shake hands with passersby. In 2007, the mayor of Nagasaki was shot and killed by a yakuza gangster. The head of the Japan Socialist Party was assassinated during a speech in 1960 by a right-wing youth with a samurai short sword. A few other prominent politicians have been attacked but not injured. Abe served two terms as prime minister, stepping down in 2020 citing ill health. But he remained a dominant presence over the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), controlling one of its major factions. Kishida, who won the premiership with Abe's backing, said the LDP would continue election campaigning on Saturday to demonstrate its resolve to "never give in to violence", and to defend a "free and fair election at all cost". "I am stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened by the news that my friend Abe Shinzo, former Prime Minister of Japan, was shot and killed while campaigning," U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement. "This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him... He was a champion of the alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people." The United States is Japan's most important ally. Similar messages of sympathy and shock poured in from around the world following news of Abe's death, including from neighbouring Taiwan, China and Russia, as well as from across Asia, Europe and the United States. The yen rose and Japan's Nikkei index fell on news of the shooting, partially driven by a knee-jerk flight to safety. Abe is best known for his "Abenomics” policy of aggressive monetary easing and fiscal spending. He also bolstered defence spending after years of declines and expanded the military’s ability to project power abroad. In a historic shift in 2014, his government reinterpreted the postwar, pacifist constitution to allow troops to fight overseas for the first time since World War Two. The following year, legislation ended a ban on exercising the right of collective self-defence, or defending a friendly country under attack. Abe, however, never achieved his goal of revising the U.S.-drafted constitution by writing the Self-Defense Forces, as Japan’s military is known, into the pacifist Article 9. Abe hailed from a wealthy political family that included a foreign minister father and a grandfather who served as premier. He first took office in 2006 as Japan’s youngest prime minister since World War Two. After a year plagued by political scandals, voter outrage at lost pension records, and an election drubbing for his ruling party, Abe quit citing ill health. He became prime minister again in 2012, winning three landslide elections in a row before stepping down in 2020, again citing his health.

Japan's government warned Monday of a power crunch as extreme heat hits the country, with temperature records toppling and Tokyo's rainy season declared over at the earliest date on record. Residents in and around the capital have been asked to conserve energy, particularly in the early evening. Temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) are forecast in Tokyo throughout Monday, and the mercury is not expected to drop below 34 until Sunday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). "We ask the public to reduce energy consumption during the early evening hours when the reserve ratio falls," Yoshihiko Isozaki, deputy chief cabinet secretary, told a regular press briefing. But he warned that residents should do what was needed to stay cool and avoid heatstroke. Much of Japan would normally be experiencing rainy season at this time of year, but the JMA on Monday declared the season over in the Kanto region, home to Tokyo, and neighbouring Koshin area. It was the earliest end to the season since records began in 1951 and a full 22 days earlier than usual. The agency also declared an end to rainy season in central Japan's Tokai and part of southern Kyushu, saying this year's rainy season in these areas and Kanto-Koshin was the shortest on record. On Sunday, Isesaki city in Gunma prefecture north of Tokyo logged the hottest temperature ever seen in Japan in June, at 40.2C. "Immediately after the rainy season ends, many people are yet to be fully acclimated to heat and face a greater risk of heat stroke," the weather agency warned in a statement. Asako Naruse, 58, was out sightseeing in Ginza alongside pedestrians carrying parasols for shade. "Every year, July and August are this hot, but it's the first time I've felt such heat in June," she told AFP. "I'm from northern Japan, so these temperatures seem really extreme."

Japan Friday for the first time joined fellow members of the Group of Seven industrialised nations in pledging to end public financing for fossil fuel projects abroad by the end of the year to help combat global warming. "We commit to end new direct public support for the international unabated fossil fuel energy sector by the end of 2022," G7 energy and climate ministers said in a joint statement following talks in Berlin. The term ‘unabated’ refers to projects that do not employ techniques to offset some of the pollution caused by carbon dioxide emissions. Ending subsidies for the international fossil fuel energy sector was already part of a series of commitments agreed to by around 20 countries at last year's COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. Six of the G7 club of rich nations were among the signatories at the time -- Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and the United States -- but Japan had resisted until now. "It is good that Japan, the world's largest financier of fossil fuels, has now joined the other G7 countries in making a shared commitment to end overseas fossil fuel financing," said Alden Meyer, senior associate at climate policy think tank E3G. Friday's pledge still allows for some "limited" exceptions of fossil-fuel financing so long as they are consistent with the 2015 Paris pact to curb global temperature increases. But Meyer said countries wishing to do so would face "a very stiff bar to clear". At their G7 talks, ministers also committed to largely end the use of fossil fuels in their electricity sectors by 2035, despite heavy tensions in the power market over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "We further commit to a goal of achieving predominantly decarbonised electricity sectors by 2035," they said.   - 'Absurdity' - To achieve this, member states promised to ramp up "the necessary technologies and policies for the clean energy transition" and accelerate the phase-out of coal. The pledge was welcomed by environmental campaigners, at a time when the war in Ukraine has sent energy prices soaring and Western countries are scrambling to wean themselves off Russian imports. "In a very difficult geopolitical situation, the G7 are united behind an end to fossil fuels by 2035 in the power sector. This is significant progress," said David Ryfisch of the Germanwatch environmental group. Speaking at the closing press conference, German Energy Minister Robert Habeck welcomed the pledges made by G7 nations, saying they sent a "strong signal for more climate protection". As well as a pledge to stop bankrolling fossil fuel projects abroad by the end of the year, Habeck highlighted the club's agreement to ditch all "inefficient fossil fuel subsidies" by 2025. "That we reward climate-damaging behaviour, either through direct subsidies or through tax advantages... is absurd and this absurdity has to stopped," he told reporters. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in order to maintain the goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius, all financing of new fossil fuel projects must be stopped immediately.  The Oil Change International campaign group has calculated that between 2018 and 2020, G20 countries alone provided $188 billion in financing for overseas oil, coal and gas projects.

Japan announced Thursday it will reopen to tourists from 36 countries starting June 10, ending a two-year pandemic closure, but travellers will only be allowed in with tour groups. The decision comes after the government last week said it would test allowing small group tours with visitors from the United States, Australia, Thailand and Singapore from this month. On Thursday, the government revised border controls to resume accepting package tours from 36 countries and regions where the Covid situation is relatively stable, it said in a statement. The countries include Britain, Spain, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia. Japan will also expand the number of airports that accept international flights to seven, adding Naha in its southern Okinawa prefecture and Chitose near Sapporo in northern Hokkaido. For most of the pandemic Japan has barred all tourists and allowed only citizens and foreign residents entry, though even the latter have periodically been shut out. All arrivals have to test negative before travel to Japan and most must be tested again on arrival, though triple-vaccinated people coming from certain countries can skip the additional test as well as a three-day quarantine required for others. Tour groups are expected to take responsibility for ensuring visitors respect Japan's near-universal mask-wearing and other measures that have helped keep the toll from Covid-19 comparatively low. Just how many people will be able to take advantage of the careful reopening is unclear. A daily cap on people entering Japan is to be doubled to 20,000 next month, though tour groups are not expected to be counted in that figure, local media has reported. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said he wants to ease border control measures, but moves are expected to proceed slowly, with strong public support for the current restrictions. Japan welcomed a record 31.9 million foreign visitors in 2019 and had been on track to achieve its goal of 40 million in 2020 before the pandemic hit.

On Japan’s bullet trains, dogs usually have to travel in a carrier, but yesterday they could stretch their paws and enjoy the scenery on a special pet-friendly express. At Ueno station in Tokyo, 21 furry passengers boarded the sleek shinkansen train for a one-hour ride to the resort town of Karuizawa with their owners. “We’re having fun,” Yukari Seino, 48, told AFP, petting her seven-month-old chihuahua named Chobi, perched comfortably on her lap. “We travel a lot together, but in the past I’ve felt bad about keeping my dog in a cage,” she said, adding that the journey had been stress-free so far. Other four-legged day trippers on board the first ever “doggy holiday” service run by Japan Railways included Pomeranians, a terrier and a pointy-eared, cheerful-looking Shiba Inu. “It’s like we’re at home. I’m happy we can ride the train without worrying,” said 39-year-old Yoko Okubo, who joined the trip with her corgi. Pets are allowed on the shinkansen but they must be kept inside a holder, and their total weight including the cage must not exceed 10kg. A whole carriage was dedicated to the pooches yesterday’s tour, a pilot project organised by railway company JR East and its subsidiary JR East Start Up. They are keen to organise more regular pet-friendly excursions in the future, Start Up official Shino Furukawa told AFP. “We’ve received requests from customers who want to have a relaxing time with their dogs on the train,” she said. “We want to create an environment where people can live in harmony with their pets, who are part of the family. This is a big step towards making pet-friendly public transport a reality.” Japanese trains are famous for being spotlessly clean, and one of the biggest challenges was to maintain the impeccable standards on board, she said. Staff put plastic covers on all the seats and brought four air purifiers into the carriage, which will be spruced up after the trip to remove all dog hair.

The leaders of Japan and Thailand announced a new defence agreement yesterday as well as plans to upgrade their economic relations, as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wrapped up the last leg of a three-nation tour of southeast Asia. The agreement would facilitate the transfer of defence hardware and technology from Japan to Thailand, which has one of the region’s biggest and most equipped armies and a long history of ties with the US military. Further details of the deal were not disclosed. “This will help improve national defence and support investment from Japan in this activity which is an important goal for Thailand,” Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said in a joint statement read alongside Kishida. Prayut said he discussed improvements in supply chains and the drafting of a five-year economic partnership with Japan, Thailand’s biggest investor. Southeast Asia has for decades been an important region for Japan, hosting some of its biggest names in industry, from infrastructure, engineering and industrial zones to the manufacturing of vehicles and electronics. The region remains a battleground between the US, Japan’s close ally, and rival China, Southeast Asia’s biggest trade partner. On his three-day trip Kishida also visited Vietnam and Indonesia, where Japanese firms maintain a large presence. As the leader of Asia’s sole member of the Group of Seven (G7), Kishida discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during his trip to Southeast Asia, where only one nation — Singapore — has joined sanctions against Moscow.

Japanese rescuers on Monday confirmed the death of a child in a weekend sightseeing boat accident, raising the death toll to at least 11, as efforts to find survivors continued.  The Kazu I was carrying 24 passengers, including two children, and two crew when it sent a distress signal on Saturday afternoon as it began to take on water in the frigid waters off Japan's northern Hokkaido island. Ten people were recovered and confirmed dead by early Sunday evening, and the coast guard said it retrieved a child later that night, whose death was confirmed on Monday morning. The boat sent the distress signal from off the coast of Japan's Shiretoko Peninsula, prompting the launch of an immediate search-and-rescue operation, though the remote nature of the location meant it took several hours for coast guard vessels and helicopters to arrive on the scene. All those on board were reportedly wearing life jackets, but hopes for survivors faded due to icy temperatures, with the water estimated to be at around two or three degrees Celsius.  The boat had set out on Saturday morning on a sightseeing cruise of the sort that is popular in the Shiretoko Peninsula, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site for its pristine natural environment and diverse wildlife. The tour went ahead despite high winds and waves that reportedly prompted some local fishing boats to return to shore to avoid the worsening conditions. Japan's Self Defence Forces and police, as well as some local fishing boats, were assisting in the search operation, with local media saying bodies had been retrieved from both the water and coast. The transport ministry has sent officials to the company that operated the sightseeing boat to determine whether they were operating within safety guidelines, and to investigate the cause of the accident, a ministry spokesman told AFP.   - 'Praying for their safety' -   Those killed in the accident have not yet been identified, though officials said they included seven men and three women, in addition to the child. A man whose parents and brother were on the boat told the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper that he had given them the tour as a present. "They may still be in the cold sea, but I'm praying for their safety," he told the newspaper. He said his parents had messaged him earlier in their trip to ask what souvenirs he would like, and soon after some crab and other Hokkaido specialities arrived at his house. He messaged them to say thank you, but got no reply.  "I want to find out what happened to them as soon as possible, but I don't know what to do," he added. The Kazu I ran aground in shallow water in June last year, becoming stranded with 21 passengers and two crew members on board, according to Japanese media. The boat was able to leave the shallows on its own and returned to the port, but police investigated its captain for endangering traffic by negligence in the conduct of business. The Shiretoko Peninsula was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 2005. It is well known for its unique wildlife, including the endangered Steller sea lion, as well as migratory birds and brown bears.

Japan’s famed cherry blossom season blankets the country in the delicate white flowers of the prized and popular “somei-yoshino” tree, delighting residents and visitors alike. But some want change. The season produces a nationwide frenzy, as forecasters compete to declare when full bloom will arrive, and Japanese unfurl picnic blankets for sometimes raucous flower-viewing parties — at least in pre-pandemic times. The blooms of the ubiquitous somei-yoshino strain, which accounts for more than 90% of the cherry trees planted in Japan, last only around a week and tend to emerge simultaneously in a given region because the trees are clones of a single specimen. And while the tree has become synonymous with blossom season, it is a growing headache for city planners because the strain is prone to disease and tends to grow too large to be well managed in urban settings. “It’s all about planting the right flora in the right place,” says Hideaki Tanaka, an expert on sakura — Japanese for cherry blossoms — who is trying to popularise other strains. “There are all kinds of sakura, not just somei-yoshino. I want to help recreate the old times when people enjoyed a wide variety,” added Tanaka, 63. He runs a farm in Yuki, in eastern Japan’s Ibaraki prefecture, with around 1,000 sample trees of 400 cherry varieties. His goal is to convince local officials across Japan to consider alternatives with petals in all shades of pink, or even rare green. As Tanaka sits on the grass among his trees, nail-sized petals of pale pink flutter down in the gentle breeze, while elsewhere other flowers are still coming into bloom. It’s a scene more like the cherry blossom seasons Japanese enjoyed several centuries ago, with a range of blooms arriving at different times. His farm is operated by the Flower Association of Japan, which gives cherry saplings to communities that want to create scenic spots to draw tourists and please residents. The farm has distributed about 3mn saplings, including somei-yoshino, but it is now promoting the “jindai-akebono” variety which is more resistant to infection and grows smaller, making it easier to prune. Its flowers bloom around four days earlier than somei-yoshino’s and are a stronger pink colour. But convincing Japan to turn its back on the somei-yoshino strain may not be easy. As urban development swept the country from the 1950s to 1980s, cities competed to plant countless millions of fast-growing somei-yoshino trees. Decades on, many of those trees have not been properly pruned, leaving them vulnerable to an infection called “witch’s broom” that deforms twigs, discourages flowering and can kill the trees. Somei-yoshino also grows large — as high as five-storey buildings in some cases — with sprawling branches stretching from enormous trunks that can develop hollows, and bulky roots that can crack pavements. Older trees are at risk during the country’s typhoon season, giving city planners plenty of reasons to consider replacing them. But residents are less convinced. In western Tokyo’s Kunitachi, it has taken officials three decades to remove around 80 of the approximately 210 trees that have been designated as needing to be felled or replaced. The trees formed an elegant floral tunnel every spring and residents wanted to keep them, said Ryusuke Endo, an official at the city’s roads and traffic division. “Some people moved here to enjoy them and bought apartments along the street,” he said, describing locals as emotionally attached to the trees.

Famed Japanese manga artist Fujiko Fujio A, known for beloved children's cartoons including "Ninja Hattori" and "Little Ghost Q-Taro", has died aged 88, local media reported on Thursday. The artist, whose real name was Motoo Abiko, was found outside his home near Tokyo on Thursday, private broadcaster TBS and others said. Police declined to confirm the reports to AFP, but tributes to Abiko were tweeted by other artists and those in the publishing industry. Abiko was the eldest son of a monk at a historic temple in central Toyama region. But his family left the temple after the death of Abiko's father when he was in fifth grade. "My father's death changed my life the most. If he had not died, I think I would have been a monk," he told the Asahi Shimbun daily in 2020. In high school, he became friends with Hiroshi Fujimoto, who later created Japan's much-loved cartoon "Doraemon", and the pair started to work together. They formed a partnership that debuted in 1951, jointly producing works under the pen name "Fujiko Fujio", and shared a Tokyo apartment with other famous manga artists including Osamu Tezuka. One of the duo's early works was "Q-Taro", about a good-natured, mischievous ghost child who starts living with a human family, which found fans in Japan as well as abroad. Abiko also created various manga by himself, including "Ninja Hattori", a ninja who becomes best friends with a regular kid, as well as other works targeted at adults.  Despite his long-time association with Fujimoto, Abiko once confessed he was reluctant to read "Doraemon" cartoons too closely. "I've been avoiding reading (them) as a protective measure, because when I read them, I'm influenced by them and think 'I can't draw like this'," he said with a laugh.

Every school has its rules, but tough regulations at some Japanese institutions, mandating everything from black hair to white shoelaces, are facing increasing criticism and even legal action. Toshiyuki Kusumoto, a father of two in western Japan's Oita, is seeking court intervention to protect his younger son from regulations he calls "unreasonable". They include rules on hair length, a ban on styles including ponytails and braids, prohibition of low-cut socks and a stipulation that shoelaces be white. "These kinds of school rules go against respect for individual freedom and human rights, which are guaranteed by the constitution," Kusumoto told AFP. Later this month, he will enter court-mediated arbitration with the school and city, hoping authorities will revise the rules. Change is already under way in Tokyo, which recently announced that strict rules on issues such as hair colour will be scrapped at public schools in the capital from April. But elsewhere, the rules are fairly common and Kusumoto, who recalls chafing at similar restrictions as a child, hopes his legal action will bring broader change. "It's not only about our children. There are many other children across Japan who are suffering because of unreasonable rules," he said. Such regulations, which generally come into force when children enter middle school at around age 12, emerged after the 1970s, according to Takashi Otsu, an associate professor of education at Mukogawa Women's University. - Rules 'destroyed a student's life' -   At the time, "violence against teachers became a social problem, with schools trying to control the situation through rules", he told AFP. "Some kinds of rules are necessary for any organisation, including schools, but decisions on them should be made with transparency and ideally involving students, which would allow children to learn democratic decision-making," he said. The array of regulations has been defended as helping ensure order and unity in the classroom, but there have been other challenges. In 2017, an 18-year-old high-school girl who was repeatedly ordered to dye her naturally brown hair black filed a lawsuit in Osaka seeking compensation of 2.2 million yen ($19,130) for psychological suffering. The case made national headlines and eventually led to the government last year instructing education boards to examine whether school rules reflect "realities around students". But in a sign of the difficult debate over the subject, both Osaka's district and appeals courts ruled schools could require students to dye their hair black within their discretion for "various educational" purposes. The student said she was regularly harassed over the issue even though she was colouring her hair to meet the requirements, according to her lawyer. "This rule destroyed a student's life," he told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect his client's identity. The student, now 22, has not given up though, and in November appealed to the supreme court.   - 'Recipe for unthinking children' -   There are other signs of pressure to change the rules, including a petition submitted to the education ministry in January by teen members of rights group Voice Up Japan. They want the ministry to encourage schools to work with students on discussing rule changes. "We started this campaign because some of our members have had unpleasant experiences with school rules," said 16-year-old Hatsune Sawada, a member of Voice Up Japan's high-school division. The petition gives the example of a girl who was humiliated by a teacher for growing a fringe that, when flattened with a hand, covered the girl's eyebrows -- a violation of the rules. In Oita, the rules also include school uniforms designated by gender, with trousers only for boys and skirts for girls. The local education board says the rules "not only nurture a sense of unity among children but also ease the economic burden for families of buying clothes". But Kusumoto disagrees. "A sense of unity is not something that is imposed, it's something that should be generated spontaneously," he said. Imposing these kinds of rules "is a recipe for producing children who stop thinking".

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Monday the government would consider granting conditional early approval for the oral Covid-19 treatment being developed by Shionogi & Co Ltd. Kishida told a televised parliamentary committee meeting that provided the drug's safety and efficacy are confirmed by clinical trials "we would like to review it promptly". Shionogi separately said that new results from an ongoing clinical trial of the drug, known as S-217622, showed "significant difference" in antiviral effect compared to a placebo, as well as symptom improvement. Chief executive Isao Teshirogi told reporters that the company could file for early approval of the drug as soon as next week, and that it could deliver 1 million doses by the end of March. The Mainichi newspaper reported earlier that Japan is considering allowing Shionogi to start selling the antiviral oral tablets as early as this spring after giving the pharmaceutical company special permission to skip the final stage of the clinical trial. Shionogi's shares rose 3% in Tokyo trading on Monday, versus a 0.7% drop in the broader market.

Japan expanded regions subject to tighter coronavirus curbs to cover 70% of the country yesterday, as the government tried to counter a record wave of Covid-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant. The measures, already in force in 16 prefectures, will take effect in a further 18 including the western prefectures of Kyoto and Osaka and remain in place until the middle of next month. Nationwide cases rose above 60,000 for the first time since the pandemic began, a tally by broadcaster Fuji TV showed on Tuesday, with the capital, Tokyo, posting 12,813 new cases while the region of Osaka reported 8,612, both records. Economy minister Daishiro Yamagiwa told reporters the central government agreed to impose tougher counter-measures in 18 more regions in response to an increase of infections and hospital admissions driven by Omicron. A panel of health experts signed off on the plan earlier in the day. The curbs will run from tomorrow until Feb 20, empowering regional governors to ask restaurants and bars to shorten their business hours and to stop serving alcohol. The stricter measures come as the government is shifting its approach to handling the soaring number of cases. The health ministry announced late on Monday it will allow doctors to diagnose those who have had close contact with a Covid-19 patient and who show symptoms as being infected without the need for a test, if deemed necessary by local governments. The new policy will enable patients to get prompt treatment, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno. “We’re presenting a policy to expand the options available to patients,” he said. Managing Covid-19 without laboratory test confirmations is similar to how doctors fight influenza in areas where “the community burden is high”, said Kazuaki Jindai, a physician and researcher at Tohoku University. “The important thing is that some people will get sick eventually and we need to have a good monitoring system to make sure that they are safe. Not only by providing them hospitalisation but also access to new oral medications.” Kyle Tattle, president of the Japanese arm of US drugmaker Merck & Co INC., told reporters the company was working to provide its Covid-19 oral pill, molnupiravir, as soon as possible. The government would also weigh scientific data in considering shorter quarantines for people who have had close contact with Covid-19 patients, Kishida told a parliamentary debate.

Several high school students sitting their university entrance exam in Tokyo were wounded on Saturday in an apparent knife attack, Japanese media said. Public broadcaster NHK said three people were conscious after being injured in the morning when another student attacked them with a bladed object as they gathered to take their entrance exam. The alleged assailant, a 17-year old high school student, was arrested, the Asahi newspaper said.   Half a million high school students across Japan are taking the annual university entrance exams this weekend in hundreds of venues across the country. Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department said it could not comment on the details of the attack nor confirm any arrests. Violent crimes are exceedingly rare in Japan, but there have been a spate of knife attacks by assailants unknown to the victims. In October, a man dressed in Batman's Joker costume stabbed more than a dozen people on a train carriage in Tokyo, sending passengers screaming down the aisles of train carriages and scrambling out of windows to escape. A few months earlier, a man wounded several people in a knife attack on a Tokyo commuter train.