Shocking Attack: Molotov Cocktail at LDP HQ, Vehicle Crashes into PM’s Residence

A shockwave hits Nagatacho in the midst of the House of Representatives election — Intense photos from the scene of the attack.

On October 19, around 6 a.m., a shockwave ran through Nagatacho. A remarkable incident occurred where several Molotov cocktails were thrown at the LDP headquarters, and shortly after, an attempt was made to crash a vehicle into the Prime Minister’s residence.  

This occurred in the midst of the House of Representatives election, the first national election since the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe, with heightened security in place.  

The suspect arrested was a 49-year-old man, who has remained silent during questioning by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Public Security Division. The man has reportedly been a left-wing activist involved in anti-nuclear activities for many years.  

By the time the author arrived at the scene around 9 a.m., forensic activities were ongoing in front of both the Prime Minister’s residence and the LDP headquarters. In addition to the Criminal Investigation Division’s forensics team, the Public Security Division’s Special Mobile Investigation Team, also known as “Kouki So,” was present, conducting their own forensic investigations.  

This specialized team, less commonly heard of, was established during the 1970s, when left-wing extremist groups were at their peak. They are experts in responding to sites involving explosives, NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) terrorism, and conducting specialized investigations.  

The light van used by the arrested suspect had a loudspeaker mounted on the roof, typically used on political campaign trucks. Large LED lights were attached to the roof rack on either side, and the vehicle bore a black license plate, indicating it was a light cargo vehicle.  

Inside the vehicle, there were about 20 gasoline-filled canisters, along with large containers connected to ducts near the rear hatch, giving the vehicle a disturbing and ominous appearance.

On the pavement, there were vivid scorch marks.

Before throwing the Molotov cocktails in front of the LDP headquarters, the suspect had reportedly sprayed liquid from a high-pressure washer at the police officers who were on guard. If the contents of the large container connected to the ducts had indeed been gasoline, it could have potentially been a homemade flamethrower. Had it ignited, the officers could have been engulfed in flames.

This situation could have turned as horrific as the 1971 Shibuya Riots, where a police officer was brutally beaten with an iron pipe, doused in gasoline, and killed by a Molotov cocktail.

In front of the LDP headquarters, a police vehicle damaged by the Molotov cocktails was left at the scene. The front bumper was missing, the hood had a large dent, and the license plate area was severely scorched.

Additionally, the barricade that had been set up to prevent the vehicle from entering the Prime Minister’s residence was pushed all the way up to the area near the front gate of the residence. Normally, the barricade is placed near the crosswalk in front of the residence, but it had been pushed several meters toward the gate, indicating the vehicle had been moving at a high speed when it attempted the attack.

After the attempted vehicle entry, the car caught fire. If the gasoline in the canisters had ignited, the consequences could have been catastrophic.

Around noon, a Tokyo Metropolitan Police truck arrived to collect the suspect’s vehicle. After being loaded onto the truck, the vehicle was covered with a blue tarp and removed from the scene.

After the forensic investigation, the pavement in front of the Prime Minister’s residence was visibly dirty from fire extinguisher marks, but officials from the residence used a high-pressure washer to clean the area, restoring it within a few hours. Seven fire extinguishers used in the firefighting efforts were left at the scene, showing the intensity of the firefighting response.

The police are focusing their efforts on countering lone offender terrorist acts. In modern times, where terror can strike anytime and anywhere, left-wing activists who resort to violence and destruction should be held fully accountable for their actions.