<h3>A shockwave hits Nagatacho in the midst of the House of Representatives election — Intense photos from the scene of the attack.</h3>
<figure id="attachment_395989" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-395989"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="430a05c1"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/10/4d0024513f9dd4f6147a9945a08fe5db.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-395989" class="wp-caption-text">The entrance to the Prime Minister&#8217;s residence was completely sealed off by riot police vehicles.</figcaption></figure>
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&#8217;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&#8217;s forensics team, the Public Security Division&#8217;s Special Mobile Investigation Team, also known as &#8220;Kouki So,&#8221; 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.
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="After the raid, the vehicle was on fire--"></div>
<h3>On the pavement, there were vivid scorch marks.</h3>
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1500px;"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="8418da35"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/10/12a7af4a7dbc356e870ac0ad4fbb03ee.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Forensic activities were being conducted in front of the LDP headquarters, and the riot police vehicle that was hit by the Molotov cocktails had its front section damaged.</figcaption></figure>
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&#8217;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&#8217;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.
<figure id="attachment_395991" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-395991"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="dc7d6e53"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/10/3d4444876d4015ee543b0dfa35927ea4.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-395991" class="wp-caption-text">The road leading to the LDP headquarters was blocked off, and it was filled with police vehicles and officers.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_395992" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-395992"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b0bc9988"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/10/520fce057b2f370f7f1d31257802a589.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-395992" class="wp-caption-text">The suspect&#8217;s vehicle. In the rear of the car, there was a disturbing large container connected to ducts.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_395993" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-395993"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="cd50750b"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/10/760b0f96adf03873081f792fd3124da1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-395993" class="wp-caption-text">Around noon, the process of removing the suspect&#8217;s vehicle and other items was underway.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_395994" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-395994"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="7694a7ca"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/10/d7ad59bf7dc553dcdf2322abd0e8a41f.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-395994" class="wp-caption-text">Near the main gate of the Prime Minister&#8217;s residence, seven used fire extinguishers were left on the ground.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_395995" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-395995"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="fc9902db"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/10/099725398f520969dc095f125f6e8818.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-395995" class="wp-caption-text">The pavement near the main gate of the Prime Minister&#8217;s residence showed marks from fire extinguishers and scorch marks. Officials from the residence were cleaning the area with a high-pressure washer.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_395996" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-395996"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e9322ceb"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/10/50a0dc83bee62373a176dac43194ed73.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-395996" class="wp-caption-text">In front of the LDP headquarters, amid the ongoing House of Representatives election, forensic activities continued for an extended period in front of a poster of Prime Minister and party leader Ishiba.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_395997" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-395997"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="d9f178ac"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/10/ec51870c326fb96265e70bd4ed97f0f5.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-395997" class="wp-caption-text">After the forensic investigation, in addition to the existing barricades, riot police vehicles were newly deployed to prevent further attempts to breach the area.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_396106" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 5568px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-396106"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="2d103e18"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/10/d150fe579f634ab4d2b67b34463e8d2a.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-396106" class="wp-caption-text">The suspect being sent for prosecution (PHOTO: Shinji Hasuo)</figcaption></figure>

 Takuma Arimura

 Shinji Hasuo (sent to prosecutors)

 On October 19, a tremor hit Nagatacho in the early morning around 6:00 a.m. A surprising incident occurred in which several Molotov cocktails were thrown at the LDP headquarters, followed by an attempted assault on the Prime Minister's official residence by vehicle. We covered the tense scene, which was also witnessed by the "Kouki Sousa," a specialized unit.

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

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