Tokyo, Oct 12: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi got a scare today, ahead of Japan's November 09 general election, when a reportedly agitated man dashed to his car in the suburbs of Tokyo, a press report said. "Show me the Prime Minister," the man was quoted as shouting before he was overpowered by policemen in front of a train station in Kawagoe, a satellite city north of Tokyo, the Jiji press news agency said. Koizumi, who was in the car, was unhurt in the incident, which took place at around 2:00 pm (1030 IST), the report said. No other details were immediately available. The Prime Minister was touring through the suburban prefecture of Saitama to support a candidate of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) for an upper house by-election on October 26. The poll is seen as a litmus test for the general election in which the long-ruling conservative LDP hopes to increase its majority strength in the house of representatives, the lower chamber of the Parliament.
On Tuesday, he is scheduled to hold a street speech in downtown Tokyo after announcing the party's election pledges at the LDP headquarters.
The premier is also due to make campaign speeches afterwards toward the national election.
Bureau Report