Arab News Japan

TOKYO: A Japanese man set himself on fire on the street near the prime minister’s official building in Tokyo on Wednesday, injuring a police officer who was trying to distinguish him, local media reported.

The man allegedly told a police officer that he was “opposed to the state funeral” just before the incident.

At 7:00 a.m., from the street near the prime minister’s official residence in Nagatacho, Chiyoda Ward, there was a call to 110 that someone was on fire, according to local reports.

Police sources revealed the man set himself on fire and a police officer who tried to extinguish the fire also suffered burns, and the two were taken to a hospital. The man was unconscious, and the details of the police officer’s condition are unknown.

Before setting himself on fire, the man reportedly told police he was against the state funeral set to be held in September 27 for the late prime minister ABE Shinzo. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the details of the incident by collecting footage from security cameras in the surrounding area.