- By Shaimaa Khalil and Mattea Bubalo
- BBC News, Tokyo and London
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated unharmed from a public event after what appeared to be a smoke bomb was thrown at him.
One person was detained at the scene in Wakayama, where Mr Kishida was due to give a speech, local media reported.
One witness said they saw someone throw something, followed by smoke, while another said they heard a loud bang. No injuries were reported.
The video shows officers crowding over a man, believed to be a suspect.
Police say they have made an arrest, but have so far declined to comment further.
Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK, quoted Mr Kishida as saying there was a “loud explosion” at the venue. “The police are investigating the details, but I would like to apologize for worrying so many people and causing trouble.”
NHK broadcast footage in which crowds of people appeared to be running away from the scene.
The footage also shows people crowding a man, grabbing him, and then taking him away.
The detained person was arrested on suspicion of obstructing business, the broadcaster also reported.
Mr Kishida had just started giving a speech after touring the Wakayama fishing port for a campaign event when the object was thrown and he went into hiding.
Local media reports said he will continue his planned schedule for the rest of the day.
A woman at the scene told NHK: “I was stunned. My heart was still beating fast.”
One person who said they saw something flying in the air said it gave them “a bad feeling, so we ran incredibly fast”.
“Then we heard a very loud noise. My son started crying,” they added.
Another witness told NHK that the crowd began to disperse in panic before the explosion was heard, as someone said an explosive had been thrown.
Hiroshi Moriyama, a member of Mr Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party, said: “That something like this happened in the middle of an election campaign that constitutes the foundation of democracy is to blame. It is a unpardonable cruelty.”