Japan deploys police, disconnects vending machines for G7

The assassination of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shook the nation into a stronger security state around this week’s G7 summit in Hiroshima.

The Japanese government has sent 24,000 security agents to the top and taken possibly overzealous precautions, such as disconnecting vending machines.

Machines were taped – with apologies on them – as far as Tokyo, which is nearly 500 miles from Hiroshima – the site of one of the two nuclear detonations in 1954 that ended World War II.

Trains to Hiroshima warned travelers that limited garbage cans would be available at stations. Instead, a man held up a garbage bag for passengers to use before exiting through the station’s turnstiles. Garbage cans in public places in Japan are generally scarce.

Tourists were also warned not to visit Miyajima Island, home to the Itsukushima Shrine and the iconic ‘floating’ gate, from Thursday to Saturday as leaders are expected to visit it.

Workers set up barricades around the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park ahead of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan. President Joe Biden arrives in Hiroshima late Thursday afternoon

The sanctuary is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the hours before President Joe Biden’s arrival Thursday afternoon, officers — dressed in white raincoats and pants — were scattered about every 20 feet on downtown streets.

There were also several planned protests ahead of the rally, involving the leaders of the US, Japan, UK, France, Italy, Germany and Canada, and invited guests including South Korea, Australia, India, Brazil, Comoros, Cook Islands , Indonesia and Vietnam.

Most of the security measures taken by the Japanese have been to prevent the use of bombs or improvised explosive devices, as weapons are difficult to obtain in the Asian nation.

Gun laws are extremely restrictive and only police and military members are allowed to purchase a handgun or rifle.

Abe, who was shot dead at a campaign event in July, was killed with a homemade firearm.

Workers were photographed Thursday erecting a fence around the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Protesters marched around Peace Memorial Park in front of the G7 in Hiroshima, Japan, on Wednesday

In the year before Abe’s death, the country – with a population of 125 million – had only 10 gun-related criminal cases.

The 67-year-old former prime minister – who left office in September 2020 – was assassinated by 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, who targeted the leader not because of his politics, but because of his family’s ties to the Unification Church.

Yamagami was able to approach Abe from behind, fire a shot – which missed – and then fire another, which hit the leader’s left arm and damaged the arteries under both his collarbones, causing massive and deadly internal bleeding .

Security had to call medical professionals to help Abe.

He had stopped breathing and his heart had stopped by the time he was airlifted to the nearest hospital.

The attack raised major security concerns in Japan.

As one expert put it to the Associated Press‘political terrorism’ is extremely rare in Japan – which is why top officials do not have the kind of security presence afforded, say, to the President of the United States.

Even after US presidents leave office, they still receive Secret Service protection.

The Japanese were also shocked by a more recent near miss when Kishida was targeted.

Last month, a man threw an explosive device at the prime minister ahead of a campaign speech in the Japanese city of Wakayama.

Kishida was unharmed, but the incident echoed calls for leaders to step up security.