Key Facts
• July 17, 3:30 PM: Suspicious box discovered at Takatsu Ward Office, Kawasaki City.
• Box dimensions: 15 cm x 5 cm x 5 cm, wrapped in brown paper.
• Evacuation ordered for visitors and staff; early voting temporarily suspended.
• Contents identified as colored contact lenses; evacuation lifted at 7:30 PM.
• Early voting site closure: 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM, first such incident in the city.
• Surveillance footage showed the box fell from a visitor’s eco-bag at 11:50 AM.
• 325 more voters used the alternate site at Tachibana Sub-Office during closure.
• Box currently stored as lost property by Takatsu Police.
Summary
On July 17, a suspicious box was found at the Takatsu Ward Office in Kawasaki City, prompting an evacuation of visitors and staff. The box, measuring 15 cm x 5 cm x 5 cm and wrapped in brown paper, was discovered under a chair in the waiting area. Authorities temporarily suspended early voting for the House of Councillors election from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM, marking the first such closure in the city. The contents were later identified as colored contact lenses, and the evacuation order was lifted at 7:30 PM. Surveillance footage revealed the box had fallen from a visitor’s eco-bag earlier that day. During the closure, 325 additional voters utilized the alternate early voting site at Tachibana Sub-Office. The box is now stored as lost property by Takatsu Police.
