Police have determined that a man found with severe abdominal wounds Tuesday evening on the premises of the gutted home of lawmaker Koichi Kato in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, is a member of a rightwing group in Tokyo.
The 65-year-old man, whose name was not disclosed, remains hospitalized and is unconscious, police said Wednesday. They plan to question him on suspicion of arson after he recovers.
The man, who also had a slash on his left wrist and burns on his face, was found outside the house without his shoes on, leading police to believe he attempted harakiri after setting the house on fire.