The head of the NHK Party was attacked while campaigning in Tokyo on Friday, police said.
Takashi Tachibana, the leader of the fringe party, was attacked by a man with what appeared to be a large blade in front of a government ministry, media outlets reported.
Tachibana was bleeding from the ear, but he was conscious before he was sent to a hospital and his condition was not life-threatening, according to the police.
A man in his 30s was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder, and police are investigating the details of the attack.
The NHK Party was initially founded on the call to reform Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK, including for households not to pay the broadcasting fee if they don’t want to watch the channel.
It has two Upper House members, while Tachibana is a former Upper House member, according to its website.
Information from Jiji added
