Police double staff who help prevent lone-wolf attacks after 2022 Abe shooting

Japan Times

10-07-2025

Japanese police have doubled their personnel who deal with cases of lone wolves, or those who conduct terrorist attacks without belonging to any organization, since former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead in July 2022.
The assassination highlighted threats from such offenders, whose moves are difficult to detect.
"We will uncover invisible enemies by gathering small pieces of information," a senior official of the National Police Agency said.
Lone wolves carry out the attacks — including planning, preparations and execution — without having links to groups based on political ideology or religious beliefs.
Recognizing that the assassination of Abe and a case in April 2023 of an attack on former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida were conducted by lone offenders, the NPA has strengthened cyber patrols to find threatening posts on social media and collect information about suspicious individuals.
To prevent attacks by lone wolves, police must gather information without sticking to particular regions or divisions. Aiming to enhance command functions, the NPA set up in April a permanent section in charge of dealing with such offenders.
Meanwhile, Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department has launched a third public security division specializing in lone-wolf investigations, while other prefectural police departments have set up specialized squads or assigned officers for such crimes. The number of police personnel across the country dealing with lone offenders has nearly doubled since the fatal shooting of the former prime minister.
Under the strengthened systems, chiefs of security sections at each police station sort through small pieces of information collected by sections other than security through their regular police activities. The NPA gathers and shares such information with police departments nationwide for use in countermeasures.
In May, the Tochigi Prefectural Police department found a post on social media that gave notice of an attack on an opposition party executive who planned to give street speeches in Tokyo. The NPA asked the MPD to reinforce its security and spotted the poster on the day. The Osaka prefectural police department, responsible for the area where the poster lives, contacted the perpetrator and gave a warning.
With suspicious posts and possible attacks by lone wolves tending to increase during election campaign periods, the NPA has set up a temporary center to consolidate information about threats from such offenders for the July 20 Upper House election. By beefing up personnel, the NPA aims for rapid information analysis and quick responses.
"If terrorist attacks occur, it means our defeat," the NPA senior official said. "By putting ourselves in the shoes of lone offenders, we will nip threats in the bud one by one."