Tsarevich Nicholas had travelled by sea to Vladivostok in Far Eastern Russia for ceremonies marking the start of construction of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. A visit to Japan formed part of this trip. From Kobe, the Tsarevich journeyed overland to Kyoto , where he was personally met by a high-level delegation spearheaded by Japanese Prince Arisugawa Taruhito.
This was the first visit to the region by such a figure since Prince Heinrich of Prussia visited in , and, two other British princes who had visited in At the time of the Tsarevich's visit, the military influence of the Russian Empire was growing rapidly in the Far East, viewed as the catalyst responsible for prompting the Japanese government to place heavy emphasis on this visit, principally to foster better Russo-Japanese relations.
Nicholas showed interest in the Japanese traditional crafts and reportedly received a dragon tattoo on his right arm.
Nicholas is also thought to have bought an ornamental hairpin for a Japanese girl of unknown status. The assassination attempt occurred on 11 May [ O. The quick action of Nicholas's cousin, Prince George of Greece and Denmark , who parried the second blow with his cane, saved his life. Tsuda then attempted to flee, but two rickshaw drivers in Nicholas's entourage chased him down and pulled him to the ground.
Nicholas was left with a 9 cm scar on the right side of his forehead. His wound was not life-threatening but caused excruciating headaches for the rest of his life. Nicholas was rushed back to Kyoto, where Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa ordered that he be taken into the Kyoto Imperial Palace to rest, and messages were sent to Tokyo.
