Assassination attempt on Shinzo Abe
In the land of strict laws: With these measures, Japan almost eradicated private gun ownership
Firearms in Japan are almost only found in films – like Takeshi Kitano here in “Brother”. There are only 0.6 guns per 100 people in Japan – one of the lowest levels in the world. The possession of handguns is even completely forbidden.
© dpa-Film Advanced/ / Picture Alliance
Japan has been shocked by the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Not only because a high-ranking politician was shot, but also because there are hardly any guns in the country.
The fatal assassination attempt on Shinzo Abe causes shock in Japan. The 67-year-old was gunned down on Friday during an election campaign event in Nara, near the metropolis of Osaka, and died shortly afterwards in a hospital. A suspected perpetrator was arrested on site, he is said to have shot Abe with a homemade shotgun. Television pictures showed two pipes glued together, which the 41-year-old is said to have used as a firearm for his crime. The fact that he did not use a rifle or other firearm may also have something to do with the strict gun laws in the country.
“No one should own a gun or a sword.” The introduction of the Japanese gun law makes it unmistakably clear how serious the island state is with its regulations. Almost only police officers and hunters have guns in the country, but if you still want to have a gun at home, you have to undergo a detailed check. This includes a one-day seminar, a written test and an examination at a shooting range – the hit rate for the latter must be at least 95 percent. Whoever passes these three tests, however, has only taken the first step towards a weapon. The further process includes a test on the applicant’s mental state, a drug test and a detailed check by the police to determine whether there are any connections to extremist groups of any kind. Those who pass the tests are allowed to own a shotgun or airgun – handguns such as pistols are strictly forbidden in Japan.
Japan: Gun license must be renewed every three years
Anyone who owns a gun must be prepared for further regulations: according to the “BBC”, cartridges for a gun are only available in exchange for the old cartridge cases. In addition, the police check the weapons annually. After three years, a license must be renewed – here, too, various tests are due.
The law is not new: Japanese politicians introduced strict gun control as early as 1958, but another law was needed before it was enforced: in 1992, the criminal groups of the Yakuza were made illegal, and gang wars, including those involving firearms, continued until 1992 still regularly. Only with the introduction of the Boryukudan law in 1992 was the action against firearms implemented consistently. Since then, the guns have almost disappeared from the public eye. According to Gunpolicy.org, there were still 310,000 privately owned firearms in 2019, including just 77 handguns. The number of guns is falling, according to the site, 710,000 firearms were still registered in Japan in 2007.
There are only 0.6 firearms per 100 inhabitants in the country, significantly fewer than in Germany (32) or the USA (120). The vanishingly small number of weapons also leads to significantly fewer deaths from firearms. According to Business Insider, there were only 10 shootings in Japan last year that resulted in one death. For comparison: In the USA, almost 21,000 people were killed by guns last year, in Germany it was 826.
Sources: BBC, Business Insider, Handelsblatt, Gun Policy