Japan is on high security alert, with as many as 18,000 police officers mobilized to secure central Tokyo for U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s three-day visit to Japan from Monday.
With a string of high-profile attacks at home and abroad targeting political figures, the Metropolitan Police Department is prioritizing countermeasures against lone offenders ¡ª individuals who carry out violent acts on their own rather than as part of a terrorist group.
A special security task force has been tightening patrols around key sites including Trump¡¯s lodging and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo¡¯s Minato Ward.
Recent lone-actor incidents in Japan include the 2022 fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a 2023 attack on then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Molotov cocktails thrown outside the headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party in October of last year.
Drawing on those cases ¡ª as well as the July 2024 attempt on Trump¡¯s life ¡ª the MPD has reinforced security, particularly against snipers looking to take shots from high-rise buildings, by posting officers on rooftops near venues and sealing off exterior stairways.
Bomb-sniffing dogs are also sweeping areas around where the U.S. president is expected to visit, and teams specializing in explosive ordnance disposal, chemical protection and anti-drone units are on standby.
Police are also stepping up vehicle checkpoints and stop-and-question procedures to block close physical access to dignitaries, while increasing online surveillance for suspicious social media posts that could suggest imminent attacks.
Traffic restrictions are scheduled Monday to Wednesday on expressways and surface streets in Tokyo, including segments of the Shuto Expressway.
¡°When an unexpected incident occurs, our ability to take the first step decisively depends on our prior preparation,¡± senior officer Yuji Sakoda told a security meeting at the MPD headquarters on Friday, instructing officers to stay fully prepared and alert.
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