Gun violence is extremely rare in Japan. In 2018, Japan, a country of 125 million people, reported just nine gun deaths — compared with 39,740 that year in the United States, according to data compiled by the Sydney School of Public Health at the University of Sydney. Nancy Snow, Japan director of the International Industrial Security Council, said the shooting would change Japan forever. “It’s not only rare, but it’s really culturally inscrutable,” he told CNN. “The Japanese can’t imagine having a gun culture like we have in the United States. This is a moment that has no words. I really feel at a loss for words.” According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing police, the suspect in Friday’s shooting is a local man in his 40s who used a homemade weapon. Under Japan’s firearms laws, the only weapons allowed for sale are shotguns and air rifles – revolvers are illegal. But getting them is a long and complicated process that requires effort — and a lot of patience. To qualify for a firearms license, prospective buyers must attend a full-day course, pass a written exam and a shooting range test with at least 95% accuracy. They must also undergo a mental health evaluation and drug test, as well as a rigorous background check — including a review of their criminal record, personal debt, involvement in organized crime and relationships with family and friends. After acquiring a gun, the owner must register the gun with the police and provide details of where the gun and ammunition are stored, in separate, locked compartments. The gun must be inspected by police once a year, and gun owners must retake the course and take an exam every three years to renew their license. Restrictions have kept the number of private gun owners in Japan extremely low. In 2017, only an estimated 377,000 guns were held by citizens in Japan, a country of 125 million people. That was 0.25 guns per 100 people, compared to about 120 guns per 100 people in the US, according to the Small Arms Survey, a project of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. The last known public shooting of a politician in Japan was in 2007, when Nagasaki Mayor Icho Ito was shot at least twice in the back by an alleged gangster. He died after a cardiac arrest. Since then, Japan has further tightened gun controls, imposing tougher penalties for gun offenses committed by members of organized crime gangs. Under the revision, possessing a gun as part of an organized crime syndicate can lead to up to 15 years in prison. Possession of more than one weapon is also a crime, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Discharging a weapon in public, meanwhile, can lead to life in prison.
