Japan’s Prime Minister Safely Evacuated After Blast

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan was safely evacuated on Saturday from a site where he had been scheduled to give a speech and shortly before an explosion was heard, according to the police.

An object was thrown, prompting Mr. Kishida’s removal. By the time of the explosion, the prime minister had been taken away from the area, according to the police department in Wakayama, the western Japanese city where the episode happened. It is not clear what the explosive object was, but it did not result in serious damage or injuries, the police said.

Video footage posted by the national broadcaster, NHK, on Saturday showed police officers, a security detail and what appeared to be members of the public tackling the man the police say is the suspect. The man, who was carrying a gray and black backpack and wearing beige pants, black Adidas sneakers and a blue jacket, appeared to struggle as the police and security officers half-dragged, half-carried him from the scene.

NHK footage showed billowing white smoke rising from a site close to a fishing port where supporters had gathered late Saturday morning to wait for the prime minister to arrive.

Mr. Kishida had been scheduled to give a stump speech in support of a lower house candidate from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party who is running in a special election.