Aljazeera reported that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated unharmed after what appeared to be a smoke bomb was thrown at him while he was on the campaign trail in Wakayama prefecture in western Japan.
Footage on Japanese television showed a disturbance in a crowd gathered at the Saikazaki fishing harbour where Kishida was out in support of a ruling party candidate. The video showed a a blast and white smoke, just as he was about to speak.
The prime minister took cover as people in the crowd scattered in panic. Kishida was unhurt and police subdued a man who looked to be in his 20s or 30s at the scene, according to public broadcaster NHK. Saikazaki is about 65km (40 miles) southwest of Osaka city
There was no immediate official confirmation of the incident, with local police declining to comment.