The upcoming vote will be the third national election held since Japan strengthened protection for senior political figures following Abe’s fatal shooting during a campaign speech in Nara. As campaigning intensifies, police say social media posts hinting at violence against candidates have been spreading, prompting heightened monitoring of online spaces to identify and disrupt potential terrorist threats, News.Az reports, citing Kyodo.
On Tuesday morning, marking the official start of the campaign, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Hirofumi Yoshimura, head of her coalition partner party, delivered kickoff speeches at a joint rally in Tokyo’s Akihabara district.
A heavy police presence was deployed at the venue, with long lines forming for bag checks in the audience area. During Takaichi’s address, some protesters shouted slogans calling for her resignation, but authorities reported no major incidents. Takaichi also serves as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Following Abe’s killing in July 2022, the National Police Agency revised its security guidelines in August of that year. The changes introduced a system requiring prefectural police to regularly review and update protection plans for political events.
Local police now inspect proposed campaign speech sites in advance, assessing risks such as exposure from behind or from elevated positions and checking whether sufficient distance can be maintained between candidates and the public. Campaign teams are also being urged to use locations that authorities have confirmed as secure.
Beyond physical security, police are intensifying scrutiny of social media for posts suggesting threats to politicians, aiming to prevent attacks by so-called lone offenders. During the previous House of Councillors election in July 2025, investigators identified 889 potentially threatening posts. In some cases, police contacted the individuals involved directly and issued warnings.
According to the police agency, officers search online by pairing candidates’ names with coded phrases suggesting intent to kill, as well as terms such as “bomb,” while reviewing posting histories to assess urgency and credibility. Authorities also plan to launch a pilot program using generative artificial intelligence in the fiscal year starting April 2026 to improve monitoring efficiency.
An agency official said individuals making threats often continue posting in pursuit of attention, adding that although monitoring social media is labor-intensive, it can help detect early signs of planned violence and guide preventive action.
