The death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was reported by national broadcaster NHK.

Abe, 67, was shot by an assailant while delivering a campaign speech outside a railway station in the western city of Nara on Friday morning.

The perpetrator was apprehended at the scene of the shocking attack in one of the world's safest nations.

The attack on a guy who may be Japan's most recognizable politician occurred despite the country's renowned low violent crime rates and strict firearms prohibitions.

Abe delivered a campaign speech at an event preceding Sunday's upper house elections; security was present, but people were allowed to approach him with relative ease.

'Barbaric deed'

NHK footage shows him standing on stage when a loud explosion occurs, and smoke is visible in the air.

A man is then seen being subdued by security personnel.

Abe's Liberal Democratic Party source informed the Jiji news agency that he fainted and was bleeding from the neck.

Earlier, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida left the campaign route and went by helicopter to Tokyo, where he addressed reporters emotionally.

He stated, "Former prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot in Nara and I have been informed he is in a very grave condition,"

"I pray that former prime minister Abe will survive," he continued, condemning "a barbaric act during election campaigning, which is the foundation of democracy."

"It is completely inexcusable. I condemn this action with the utmost severity."

Longest-serving PM

Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, held office in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 to 2020 before being forced to resign due to the debilitating intestinal disease ulcerative colitis.

He is a staunch conservative who advocated for modifying Japan's pacifist constitution to recognize the country's military and remained a prominent political figure even after resigning from office.

Japan has among the strictest gun control laws in the world, and yearly gunshot deaths in the country of 125 million are typically in the single digits.

Even for Japanese nationals, obtaining a gun license is a lengthy and complicated process, requiring first a recommendation from a shooting association and then rigorous police checks.