Japanese government hope for peaceful transition of power

The Japanese government said on Thursday that it hoped the US would overcome the chaos caused by angry supporters of President Donald Trump who stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday and forced lawmakers into hiding. US elected representatives scrambled to bend down under desks and put on gas marks, while police ineffectively tried to barricade the building, one of the most jarring scenes ever to unfold in a seat of American political power.

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said he hoped the transition of power to president-elect Joe Biden would proceed peacefully and democratically following the unprecedented scenes. A woman was shot and killed inside the Capitol during the incident and Kato expressed the country's condolences to her family.