Japanese police arrest man wielding knife near US embassy days before Trump visit

Police arrested a man who pointed a knife at them in front of the U.S. embassy in Tokyo on Friday, local media reported, as Japan ramped up security ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit in three days’ time.

A man in his 30s was taken into custody around 2:30 p.m. local time after pointing a kitchen knife at anti-riot police officers on the street, the Asahi newspaper reported.

During the apprehension, a male officer was injured in his right heel from the knife and was hospitalised, the report said, citing police sources. It did not make clear how the injury occurred.

The motive behind the detained man’s move was not immediately known. He has not made any comments on the U.S. or Trump so far during police interrogation, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Police set up a cordon and were investigating the site right across the U.S. embassy in downtown Tokyo.

The incident comes days before Trump’s planned Japan trip for October 27-29, where he will meet Emperor Naruhito and newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has mobilised up to 18,000 personnel to bolster security for the visit, the Kyodo News reported earlier this week.

Japan has seen multiple attacks on high-profile politicians in recent years. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was killed by a homemade gun in 2022 and a failed bomb attack targeted then-premier Fumio Kishida in 2023.

Strict gun controls mean knife attacks are a more common form of violence, with multiple stabbing incidents on trains and railway stations in the past few years.