Japanese police arrested a man armed with a knife outside the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo on Friday, just days before President Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to Japan. The incident has prompted heightened security concerns as authorities prepare for the high-profile visit later this week.

According to reports from local media, the suspect — a man believed to be in his 30s — was detained around 2:30 p.m. after he pointed a kitchen knife at anti-riot officers stationed near the embassy. During the confrontation, one police officer sustained an injury to his right heel and was taken to the hospital for treatment. It remains unclear how the injury occurred.

Police have yet to determine the motive behind the man’s actions. Officials said that during questioning, the suspect did not make any comments related to the United States or President Trump. Investigators have sealed off the area across from the embassy and are continuing their probe.

The arrest comes just three days before President Trump’s planned visit to Japan, scheduled from October 27 to 29. During the trip, he is expected to meet Emperor Naruhito and newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

In anticipation of the visit, Tokyo Metropolitan Police have deployed an estimated 18,000 officers across the capital to ensure the president’s safety, according to Kyodo News. The government has been on alert amid concerns over potential security incidents following several attacks on Japanese political figures in recent years.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated with a homemade gun in 2022, and former premier Fumio Kishida narrowly escaped a bomb attack in 2023. With Japan’s strict gun control laws, knives remain one of the more common weapons used in violent attacks, which have occasionally occurred in public spaces such as train stations and transit lines.

Source: Reuters (Reporting by Anton Bridge, Kantaro Komiya, and Kim Kyung-Hoon; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Philippa Fletcher)