福岡市選舉活動有持槍客

Recently the Asahi News reported the following:

１０日午後５時半ごろ、中央区天神２丁目の路上で、参院選福岡選挙区に立候補している民主党現職の大久保勉氏の応援弁士が街頭演説中、拳銃を持った男が大久保氏らに近づいた。秘書らが男に気づき、取り押さえた。福岡県警は銃刀法違反の疑いで男を現行犯逮捕し、発表した。大久保氏らや聴衆にけがはなかった。
　中央署の調べでは、男は同県久留米市津福本町、無職高瀬正二郎容疑者（７１）。持っていたのは自動式拳銃１丁と実弾の入った弾倉だったという。調べに対し、「元右翼団体員だ」と話したという。現場は繁華街の福岡パルコ前で、当時は約１００人の聴衆がいた。
　目撃者の話などによると、大久保氏の応援で訪れていた民主党県連代表が演説をしていたとき、高瀬容疑者が近づき拳銃を取り出したという。高瀬容疑者は秘書に「世間を騒がせたかった」と話したという。
　
On the 10th at 5.30 pm at a road in the Fukuoka City Middle Ward where the Democratic Party incumbent ran for the House of Councilors election, the Fukuoka electoral district Ohisa's assistant speaker while making a political speech a man with a gun approached Tamotsu Ohisa and others. The secretaries noticed the man and caught him. Fukuoka prefecture police announced the arrest of a man on suspicion of the weapon law violation. Neither Tamotsu Ohisa nor the audience had received injury.
According to the investigation of the Central station, the male suspect was from the same prefecture of Kurume City Tsu Fukumoto district, unemployed Takase (71). It was said that what he held was one automatic-pistol with one cartridge loaded in the magazine. In response to the investigation, it was said that he " is a former rightist organization member". At that time, there were about 100 audiences at the site in front of downtown Fukuoka Parco. According to eyewitness reports, it was said that when the representative of the Democratic Party prefecture federation who visited to give assistance to Tamotsu Ohisa and made a speech, the suspect Takase approached and took out the gun. Suspect Takase told the secretary, "I wanted to make a flutter".

So, to run for an election in Japan could be a dangerous activity.