Japan
Man Kills 2, Himself, in Rare Japanese Bar Shooting
Associated Press
12 January 2010
TOKYO,Japan - A man opened fire at a bar in western Japan on Tuesday, killing two people and wounding one seriously before taking his own life. Guns are strictly controlled in Japan, and shootings are rare. When such attacks do occur, they are often linked to gangsters known as yakuza. Police in Habikino City in Osaka prefecture were investigating the gunman's motive, police official Mitsuyuki Oda said. The Kyodo News agency... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Yakuza Gunman Dead, Three Injured in Rare Japanese Shooting
BBC News
6 November 2009
A gunman in Japan has taken his own life after wounding three people in Yokohama, outside Tokyo, police said. The gunman had taken refuge in a building in a residential area which the police surrounded. A police spokesman said one of the injured men was in a critical condition and the other two were lightly wounded. Japanese media reported the violence appeared to be gang related. Shootings are rare in Japan, where... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Host Holds Unloaded Gun for 6secs on Japan TV Show, Police Pounce
Asahi Shimbun (Japan) / International Herald Tribune
2 July 2009
OTSU, Shiga Prefecture -- Given this nation's strict gun control law, were police overreacting when they swooped on a TV broadcaster that had allowed a celebrity to handle a hunting rifle during a live broadcast? The Shiga prefectural police insist they were perfectly within their rights, but TV networks are outraged, citing the fact the weapon was not loaded. The incident stems from a show aired Jan. 17 by Biwako Broadcasting... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Police Seize 800 'Lethal' Soft Air Guns from Japanese Airgun Maker
Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan) / AP
11 November 2008
The Metropolitan Police Department suspects that a Tokyo-based company's airsoft gun put on sale in July is powerful enough to injure or kill without any modifications to the body, sources familiar with the case have said. It is rare for police to recognize an unconverted airsoft gun as a lethal weapon. The MPD seized 800 units of the type of gun during an inspection of the manufacturer on suspicion of violating the Firearms... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Yakuza Gangster Sentenced to Death for Shooting Mayor of Nagasaki
Associated Press
26 May 2008
TOKYO -- A court in Japan convicted an alleged gangster and sentenced him to death Monday for the fatal shooting of a popular mayor in a crime that stunned a nation that takes great pride in its rigid gun-control laws, media reports said. Tetsuya Shiroo, 60, who police say is a gang boss, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death Monday in Nagasaki District Court, according to Kyodo News and NHK TV. Court official Tomoya Nagata... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Doctor Faces Japanese Court Over 18 Guns, Home Made Ammunition
Mainichi Daily News (Japan)
22 May 2008
TSU -- A doctor accused of illegally possessing guns has been slapped with a new charge of manufacturing bullets without permission, law enforcers said. Mie Prefectural Police have sent to the Tsu District Public Prosecutors Office additional papers accusing Kenji Abo, 58, a doctor from Tsu, of violating the Ordnance Manufacturing Law. "I wanted to make (bullets) by myself," Abo was quoted as telling police as he admitted... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Stalkers, Spouse Abusers, Bankrupts, Suicidal to Lose Their Guns in Japan
Asahi Shimbun (Japan) / IHT
4 April 2008
The National Police Agency plans to overhaul the gun control law for the first time in 28 years to keep firearms from stalkers, spouse abusers, bankrupt people and those with suicidal tendencies, sources said Thursday. The changes will also include a clause requiring a psychiatric check of applicants for gun permits "if necessary." The agency plans to submit a bill to revise the Firearms and Sword Control Law in the next... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan: Police Could Seize Hunting Rifles for Family Violence, Stalking, Debt
Mainichi Daily News
3 April 2008
The National Police Agency (NPA) is seeking a legal ban on those involved in stalking incidents or domestic violence from possessing hunting guns, agency officials said. The NPA is expected to submit a bill during the next Diet session to revise the Firearms and Swords Control Law to include involvement in stalking incidents and domestic violence as grounds for disqualification for possessing hunting guns. Under the current... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japanese Worry As More Licensed Guns Used in Murder, Family Violence
BBC News
27 February 2008
TOKYO -- Japan is not a country you associate with serious crime. It has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, but figures published recently suggest the number of shootings here rose by a quarter last year, the first rise in five years. Gangsters were blamed for two-thirds of the attacks but many Japanese are worried that, increasingly, licensed guns are being used for murder too. In 2006 just two people... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
2,885 Japanese Gun Owners Surrender 4,467 Weapons After One Rampage
Asahi Shimbun (Japan)
8 February 2008
Gun owners are turning in their licenses for thousands of weapons following public outrage over a shooting incident at a sports club in Nagasaki Prefecture last December that left two people dead, the National Police Agency said Thursday. The NPA said a total of 2,885 gun owners have opted to return their licenses for 4,467 weapons and have either sold or disposed of the guns. Of the total, 90 gun owners who had come to... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japanese Police Visit 65,000 Gun Owners, Declare 90 Unfit to Own Firearms
Daily Yomiuri (Japan)
8 February 2008
Ninety gun owners were ordered to return their gun licenses and 145 firearms as of Jan. 31, after being judged unfit to possess them under police inspections conducted in the wake of a shooting rampage in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, in December, it has been learned. The inspections were conducted nationwide by prefectural police headquarters on people who possess hunting guns -- shotguns and rifles -- and air guns. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
66 Shootings, Mainly Non-fatal, Across Japan in 2007 - Up From 53 in 2006
Reuters
7 February 2008
TOKYO -- The number of shootings in Japan rose in 2007 for the first time in six years, police said on Thursday, in a review of a year that included the assassination of a city mayor and gun use involving rival gangsters. Shootings rose to 66 compared with a record low of 53 in 2006, the National Police Agency said in a report. The figure was up for the first time since 2001. "There was an increase in confrontations between... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japanese Police Visit, Check 175,000 Gun Owners to Lessen Massacre Risk
Bloomberg (USA)
30 January 2008
TOKYO -- Japan's National Police Agency ordered checks on all registered firearms after two people were shot to death at a gym in southern Japan in December, the Asahi newspaper reported. Police departments plan to complete checks by the end of March, the newspaper reported, without saying who provided the information. Statistics show about 175,000 people in Japan had permits to own about 340,000 firearms as of 2006, the newspaper... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan's National Police Urge Gun Owners to Store Weapons with Dealers
Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan)
23 December 2007
Responding to the shooting rampage at a sports club in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, on Dec. 14, the National Police Agency told the Metropolitan Police Department and prefectural police headquarters Friday to urge owners of hunting guns and air rifles to deposit their guns at gun dealers instead of storing them at their homes. According to the NPA, about 175,000 people were licensed to own about 339,000 shotguns and rifles for hunting... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japanese PM Orders Gun Control Audit: All Gun Owners To Be Re-assessed
Japan Today / Kyodo
22 December 2007
TOKYO -- Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Friday ordered ministers in his cabinet to formulate measures to reinforce the nation's gun controls following the fatal shooting rampage on Dec. 14 in Nagasaki Prefecture, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said. Following Fukuda's order made during a ministerial meeting on fighting crime, National Public Safety Commission Chairman Shinya Izumi said he plans to conduct overall inspections... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Shooting Puts Gun Law, Ownership, Proliferation Under Scrutiny in Japan
Asahi Shimbun (Japan)
20 December 2007
With nearly 340,000 guns legally circulating in Japan, Friday's shooting in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, has inevitably raised questions about gun control. The case also drove home to many that incidents involving firearms, such as those often reported in "gun societies" like the United States, can occur in Japan. Only a tiny fraction of applications to own a gun are rejected, and once a permit is given, it is rarely revoked.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan's PM Says Gun Control Just a Part of Comprehensive Violence Plan
Kyodo News (Japan)
18 December 2007
TOKYO -- Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Monday emphasized the importance of considering ways to secure public safety in a comprehensive manner following the fatal shooting rampage last week in Nagasaki Prefecture. "We must consider carefully the issues such as the criteria for use of guns and their management, but if we were to ask whether just controlling guns would make things perfect, the incident at Ikeda elementary comes to... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japanese Killer Was Licensed Gun Owner: Tougher Gun Laws Called for
Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan)
17 December 2007
Friday's shooting rampage in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, was just the latest tragedy involving a legally owned gun. The incident comes after little progress has been made in toughening up the rules governing eligibility for gun ownership. The Sasebo shooting has also sparked questions about why the suspect had been allowed to own guns even after neighbors had raised alarm about his odd behavior. Blame lies partly with a fault in... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan to Review Gun Control Laws After Gym Shooting, Says Prime Minister
Agence France Presse
17 December 2007
TOKYO -- Japan will review its gun control laws following last week's deadly shooting at a sports club in western Japan, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Monday. A man opened fire Friday night at a private gym in Sasebo, western Japan, killing two people and injuring six. "No matter what the reason is, we should not let such a crime happen at any cost," Fukuda told reporters. "There must be problems with usage... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Licensed Gun Owner Kills 2, Shoots Himself at Japanese Sports Club
Agence France Presse
16 December 2007
TOKYO -- Japanese media called for tighter gun-control laws on Sunday following a deadly shooting at a sports club, which sent shockwaves through the country in which gun crimes are emerging. "We feel fear that (Japan) has turned out to be a gun society like the United States," the Yomiuri Shimbun said in an editorial. "A gun was pointed at random at the ordinary public. It was an unprecedented crime in Japan." "It is necessary... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan Will Jail Armed Gangsters, Owners of Multiple Guns for Up to 15yrs
Reuters
26 November 2007
TOKYO -- Japan's parliament on Monday passed legislation strengthening gun control following a spate of shootings by gangsters, including the assassination of a city mayor in April and the recent murder of a hospital patient in a case of mistaken identity. The revision of the firearms control law is the first since 1995, and imposes heavier punishments for gun crimes committed by members of organised crime gangs. After... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Gun Crime Penalties Leap in Japan: 10yrs for Possession, 15yrs for Firing
Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan)
17 October 2007
The government approved a bill Tuesday to revise the Firearms and Swords Control Law and stiffen penalties that will now include a maximum 30 million yen fine on a person who shoots a gun on behalf of organized crime. The revision of the law, which is to be toughened for the first time since 1995, aims to make members of crime syndicates reconsider whether crime pays with the increased fines. The bill, which was approved... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Stringent Gun Control Penalties Follow High-Profile Yakuza Crimes in Japan
All Headline News (USA)
17 October 2007
TOKYO -- Crime busters want to hit the yakuza crime syndicate with a heavy 30 million yen ($256,695) fine added to prison sentences for gun use, possession and manufacturing - three times what offenders now pay. It will be the most far-reaching since illegal shooting was added to the Swords and Firearms Control Law 12 years ago and follows high profile crimes across Japan this year. On Sunday, a former yakuza adviser was shot dead... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan Hikes Gun Penalties: 15yrs for Illegal Possession, 5yrs to Life if Fired
Xinhua
16 October 2007
TOKYO -- Japan plans to revise its law to impose tougher punishment on possessing a gun or illegally firing guns, Kyodo News said Tuesday. The government adopted a bill on Tuesday to make the changes such as lifting the maximum sentence for having a gun from 10 years to 15 years, and the minimum sentence of illegally firing a gun from three to five years. The bill, if passed by the parliament, would be the first revision... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japanese Police Charge Dead Gun Collector Over Submachine Gun, Pistol
Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan)
5 September 2007
Police will file papers Wednesday with prosecutors against a deceased man from whose house in Yokohama they seized a submachine gun, a pistol and 179 rounds of ammunition in June. The man, 52, died of an unnamed disease at his home in Isogo Ward, on May 28, and his sister, 55, and nephew, 26, found a 9mm automatic pistol and 159 rounds of 9mm ammunition inside a desk in a study on the first floor on June 10. The police... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan Discusses New Laws, Tighter Border Control to Curb Gun Running
Japan Times / Kyodo
26 June 2007
A government project team completed Monday a package of proposals to tighten firearms restrictions in the wake of the April assassination of Nagasaki Mayor Itcho Ito and the gunning down of a riot police officer in Aichi Prefecture in May. The measures include stiffening the penalties under the gun control law and boosting surveillance and other efforts against weapons smuggling. To put them into effect, the government hopes to... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japanese Government Plans Even Tougher Gun Control Measures
Yomiuri Shimbun / AP
26 June 2007
A government study group announced a raft of emergency measures Monday to tighten control on firearms, such as stiffening penalties for people who violate the Firearms and Swords Control Law and establishing a seaborne trade regulatory center at the customs authority. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered relevant government offices to tighten gun control in May, in light of a number of incidents such as the fatal shooting of Nagasaki... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Despite Tight Gun Control, Gun Crime Headlines Mar Japan's Safe Image
Japan Times
5 June 2007
Japan, whose strict gun controls have long helped its image as the safest industrialized nation, has recently seen its reputation slip in the wake of headline-making shootings. Nagasaki Mayor Itcho Ito was gunned down by a yakuza during his re-election campaign on April 17; a mobster holed himself up April 20 in an apartment in Machida, western Tokyo, after fatally shooting a fellow yakuza; a former gangster in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines, Taiwan, Japan
Philippine Police Crack Taiwan/Japan Yakuza Gun Trafficking Ring
Central News Agency / eTaiwanNews.com
5 June 2007
Police in the Philippines have arrested Yamaguchi-gumi Akire Nemoto, believed to be the right hand man to leader Yasuo Takagi. He was arrested in Manila for arms smuggling, seizing weapons including a U.S.-made KG99 assault rifle, two mini pistols and numerous rounds of ammunition. Police also discovered that members of the Bamboo Union flew to Manila from Taiwan to meet with Nemoto to discuss deals involving drugs, firearms smuggling... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
With Only 19 Gun Homicides in 2005, Japan Holds the Line on Gun Violence
Japan Times
3 May 2007
On the morning of April 17, I received an apprehensive telephone call from a Japanese friend, a former employee of a foreign TV news bureau here. Initial bulletins from Blacksburg, Virginia, were reporting that the shooter at Virginia Tech appeared to be a young Asian male. "Do you think he could be Japanese?" she asked. I unhesitatingly ruled this out. First of all, I told her, the percentages were completely against it.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Germany, Australia, United Nations
Shooting Massacres Often Bring Tough Gun Controls Around the World
Associated Press
30 April 2007
After a loner armed with assault weapons turned a scenic resort into a mass of mangled bodies and thrashing injured in 1996, Australia took quick and decisive action. Twelve days later, the government pushed through a tough ban on semiautomatic rifles. Australia, which had been bloodied by 13 mass shootings in the 15 years that preceded the slaughter in Port Arthur, Tasmania, hasn't seen one since. Gun control proponents... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan Tightens Gun Control Guidelines to Prevent Illegal Firearm Imports
Associated Press
25 April 2007
TOKYO -- Japan adopted stricter gun control guidelines today following a spate of gangster shootings that rattled a nation renowned for its crime-free streets, a government official said. The measures are intended to reduce the smuggling of guns into Japan by organized crime groups and focus on getting rid of guns already in circulation, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hakubun Shimomura said. "Most of the guns that are confiscated... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Former Legionnaire and Wife Held in Japan on Gun Running Charges
Asahi Shimbun (Japan)
24 April 2007
A former Japanese member of the French Foreign Legion and his wife were arrested on suspicion of possessing firearms that were likely smuggled into the country, police said Monday. Three others, including a company president in Kanagawa Prefecture, were arrested for allegedly buying and possessing the weapons. Police said they have also obtained an arrest warrant for another man suspected of buying a handgun from the former... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Illegal Guns Flourish in Japan, Police Befuddled by Gang Shootings
Asahi Shimbun (Japan) / IHT
23 April 2007
Two fatal street shootings by gangsters within a week -- one in Nagasaki and the other in the Tokyo area -- have shattered the illusion that Japan is a country largely free of gun-related crime. One estimate says there are 50,000 illegal guns in Japan. The problem, police say, is that it is getting harder to know where to find the weapons. Almost all are believed to be in the possession of crime syndicates, which... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan Eyes Tighter Gun Control Rules After Yakuza Shootings
Associated Press
20 April 2007
TOKYO -- Japan's government said Friday that it will consider tightening gun-control rules after the murder of Nagasaki's mayor, as a new gun death rattled the country. A man was shot dead outside a shop in suburban Tokyo, just three days after the mayor was gunned down in Nagasaki in a killing that has stunned a nation priding itself on its safety record. Underworld gangs are linked to most gun violence here, including... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Mobster Shot Nagasaki's Mayor, But Deaths by Gunshot Still Rare in Japan
Associated Press
20 April 2007
When Nagasaki's mayor was gunned down, it was not much of a surprise that a gangster was arrested. In a country where regular citizens face strict gun laws, the mob does most of the shooting. Itcho Ito, 61, died early Wednesday after being shot twice in the back Tuesday evening. Tetsuya Shiroo, a senior member of the top underworld syndicate, Yamaguchi-gumi, was captured at the scene and owned up to the assassination, police said.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Nagasaki Mayor's Slaying Highlights Japan's Unique Gun Culture
Associated Press
19 April 2007
TOKYO -- When Nagasaki's mayor was fatally shot in southern Japan, it wasn't much of a surprise that a gangster was arrested as the suspect. In a country where regular citizens face strict gun laws, the mob does most of the shooting. Iccho Ito, 61, was shot twice in the back Tuesday evening and died early Wednesday. Tetsuya Shiroo, a senior member of Japan's largest crime syndicate, the Yamaguchi-gumi, was captured at the scene... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan, Philippines, Taiwan
Police Meet to Combat Illegal Gun Trafficking from Philippines to Japan
Manila Standard
12 March 2007
Eight police generals will leave for Japan today for a four-day meeting on gun control in Tokyo in the wake of the Japanese' growing concerns over rising gun smuggling cases in the Asia-Pacific region. The Philippine National Police and the Japan Police will also discuss initiatives on crime scene investigations and compare notes on new strategies, techniques and equipment in dealing with criminals. Those given authority... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan, Philippines
Crime Boss Arrested in Philippine-Japan Yakuza Gun Running Probe
Japan Times / AP / Kyodo
22 August 2006
Tokyo police on Monday arrested a crime boss whose gang allegedly spearheaded an operation to smuggle guns and explosives from the Philippines into Japan. The Metropolitan Police Department said Tadashi Matsuda, 43, was arrested on suspicion of violating firearms control laws. Matsuda's gang -- part of the Tokyo-based Inagawa-kai, Japan's third-largest crime syndicate -- has been under investigation for allegedly smuggling... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan, United Nations
Japan Says Curbs on Gun Transfers Should Be UN Small Arms Priority
Kyodo
27 June 2006
Japan believes the importance of transfer controls on small arms should be stressed in the final documents of the small arms conference review being held at U.N. headquarters, Japan's Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Shintaro Ito said Monday in New York. Speaking at the opening of the two-week U.N. conference to review progress in global curbs on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, Ito outlined Japan's... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan, United Nations
UN Confab on Small Arms, Gun Trade Opens in New York
Kyodo
26 June 2006
A U.N. conference to review progress in global curbs on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons opened Monday at U.N. headquarters in New York. Designed to review progress in implementing the 2001 Program of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, the meeting is expected to produce a political document setting new goals at its close on July 7. The nonbinding program, adopted unanimously five years ago, commits... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Global Campaign Urges Japan to Champion UN Curbs on Illicit Gun Trade
Japan Times / Kyodo
14 March 2006
LONDON -- Campaigners on Monday called on Japan to lead efforts to strengthen the international code on the export of small arms. The London-based International Action Network on Small Arms, a group of more than 700 civic organizations around the world, wants the rules to be made more explicit to deter exports to countries that abuse human rights. It will call on members of the United Nations in June to strengthen the code... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan, United Nations
Japan Needs to Take Lead on Reforming Global Gun Rules, Says IANSA
Kyodo News / Japan Economic Newswire
12 March 2006
LONDON -- Campaigners called on Japan on Monday to lead efforts to toughen up the international code on the export of small arms. The London-based International Action Network on Small Arms wants the rules to be made more explicit in order to deter exports to countries where human rights abuses exist. It will call on members of the United Nations in June to strengthen the existing code and wants Japan to take more of a... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan to Ban Powerful Toy Air Guns in Wake of Injuries, Assaults
Japan Economic Newswire / Kyodo
5 February 2006
TOKYO -- The National Police Agency has decided to ban the ownership of powerful toy air guns in order to curb incidents involving such guns being remodeled to give them killing power, agency officials said Sunday. The agency will submit legislation to revise the firearm control law to the ongoing Diet session so a violator will face imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 300,000 yen, they said. According to... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan's Top Mafia Boss Jailed Over Bodyguard's Gun
Pravda / AP
5 December 2005
The head of Japan's largest underworld crime syndicate was jailed Monday, public prosecutors said, after the country's top court rejected his appeal in a gun control violation case. Kenichi Shinoda, 63, surrendered to Osaka prefectural (state) police and was placed in the local detention center, a public prosecutor's office spokesman said anonymously in accordance with the office's regulations. Last Thursday, the Supreme... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan's Crime Boss Faces 6yrs Prison for His Bodyguard's Gun
Kyodo News
1 December 2005
The boss of Japan's largest crime syndicate, Yamaguchi-gumi, will be imprisoned soon as the Supreme Court has rejected his appeal in a gun control law violation case, sources familiar with the case said Thursday. The top court decision, dated Tuesday, finalizes a six-year prison sentence on Kenichi Shinoda, 63, who has been on bail, they said. Shinoda is convicted of conspiracy with a bodyguard who was found to be in illegal... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan's Hidden Small Arms Trade
Asia Times (Hong Kong) / Japan Focus
1 December 2005
Japan's 2004 announcement that it was considering joining the US in the production of a missile defense system was deeply troubling to Japanese and Asians concerned about the country's expansive military posture in tandem with the Americans. Over the years, Japan has created a high-tech, non-nuclear military force. But it has steadfastly maintained an official ban on weapons exports. Many feared that the 2004 move heralded the end... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Air Guns Powerful 'Toys' Beyond Reach of Police
Asahi Shimbun (Japan)
19 October 2005
In legal terms, they are toys; in the wrong hands, say some law enforcement officials, they are potential killers and should be controlled. But as the National Police Agency is discovering, ensuring the safe use of air guns is easier said than done. With more than 20 air gun attacks in the last two months, prefectural police nationwide have been ordered by the NPA to track souped up versions. But with no regulations... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Police to Upgrade Clubs in Defence Against Rising Street Crimes
Associated Press
6 October 2005
The streets of Japan still aren't all that mean. Police often patrol neighborhoods on bicycles, spend much of their time talking to kids or giving directions, and were involved in just 11 shootouts last year. That's all year, nationwide. But times are changing. Amid an increase in street crime and violence directed at officers themselves, Japan's National Police Agency is seeking to upgrade its defensive arsenal, introducing... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Europe, Japan, Russia, Canada, United Nations, Australia
Feature: G8 Nations and Australia's Global Gun Sales Detailed
Age (Melbourne)
7 July 2005
As George Bush, Tony Blair, Vladimir Putin and the other G8 leaders discuss the world's problems at their luxurious Gleneagles hotel, Africa's death dealers are hawking their wares in open-air markets. In the Somali capital, Mogadishu, at least four gun markets operate where Russian made AK-47 assault rifles, American M-16s and German semi-automatics are sold for less than $250. Not far from the markets, mortars, missiles and anti-aircraft... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Europe, Japan, Canada, Russia, United Nations
Arms for the Poor: G8 Gun Sales to Impoverished Countries
Age (Melbourne)
6 July 2005
UNITED STATES -- The dominant player in the international arms trade, delivering $205 billion of conventional weapons between 1996 and 2003. Though US law prevents exports to countries with human rights violations, America has recently equipped forces in Colombia, Israel, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The development agencies' report (see main story) said big and persistent concerns remained over the human... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
TV Asahi Hit for Biased Report on Fugitive
Japan Times
15 February 2005
The Kobe District Court handed Miki Nishimura a suspended three-year sentence and 1 million yen fine on Jan. 25 for violating the Firearms and Sword Possession Control Law and Customs Law. She was arrested in July 2003 for allegedly helping Kozo Wada smuggle guns. Wada is a Japanese resident of the United States who is now a fugitive and on a Hyogo Prefectural Police wanted list. Nishimura's sentence was suspended for four... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan, United States
TV Asahi Hit for Biased Report on Fugitive
Japan Times
15 February 2005
TV Asahi's "Hodo Station" news show featured a story last fall on the smuggling of guns into Japan, focusing in part on Kozo Wada, a fugitive who had been arrested and tried in the United States for unlicensed possession and exportation of guns to Japan. But according to lawyer Seiichiro Onuki, the Oct. 11 show effectively misquoted a key witness and thus was biased heavily against Wada -- a charge TV Asahi has denied. In... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Smuggled Gun Gets Ex-Actor 3yrs in Prison
Japan Times / Kyodo
9 February 2005
OSAKA -- A former child actor known for his role in a popular samurai film in the 1970s was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison for smuggling a handgun into Japan from Thailand. The ruling handed down against 36-year-old Akihiro Tomikawa by the Tokyo District Court fell short of the prosecutors' demand by one year. He faced charges including violation of the Firearm and Sword Control Law. Tomikawa played Daigoro,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Police Face Complaint for Letting Killer Have Shotgun
Japan Times
10 January 2005
UTSUNOMIYA, Tochigi Prefecture (Kyodo) -- Family members of the victims in a deadly shooting will file a criminal complaint Tuesday against police officers and the chief of the Tochigi Prefecture public safety commission, claiming they allowed the killer to own a shotgun without full inspection, according to sources. Kimiko Tanaka, 60, and another woman were shot by a neighbor in Utsunomiya in July 2002. Tanaka died and the other... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
North Korea Sold Arms to Moro Extremists
Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan)
3 January 2005
North Korea sold more than 10,000 rifles and other weapons in 1999 and 2000 to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the largest pro-Al-Qaida extremist group in the Philippines, according to Southeast Asian security sources. Between 1999 and 2002, North Korea also attempted to sell submersible vessels to the MILF, who are fighting for independence for Mindanao in the southern Philippines, the sources said. North Korea's... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Control Arms Gun Control 'Faces' Campaign Launched
Kyodo News (Japan)
17 December 2004
A global campaign for the control of weapons worldwide will be launched in Japan on Saturday, organizers said Friday. The Million Faces Petition is a visual petition -- collecting "signatures" in the form of photos and self-portraits of the petitioners -- intended to show concern about the proliferation and misuse of arms around the world and urge governments to take action on tougher arms control. It is part of the Control... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Japan
Americans Should Curb Spread of WMDs in Their Own Country
Japan Times, Opinion
20 September 2004
LONDON -- The failure of Congress to renew a 10-year ban on the sale of assault rifles and other dangerous weapons may seem to politicians a simple price to pay to win the support of the National Rifle Association in the forthcoming presidential election. This powerful lobby is backing the re-election of President George W. Bush and considers bans on the sale of such weapons to be an infringement of the constitutional right of American... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Our Ban on Gun Exports Leads the World, Says Inoguchi
Asahi Shimbun (Japan), Opinion
20 September 2004
Japan has firmly stood by its three principles of arms exports that conform to the fundamental philosophy of the Constitution-one worthy of a peaceful nation. But to meet new developments, the government has expressed exceptional cases in the form of comments by chief Cabinet secretaries. Examples include the provision of weapons technology to the United States for security reasons and the transfer of devices to remove antipersonnel... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan, United States
Accused Gun Smuggler Fails to Appear in Court
Associated Press
4 September 2004
PORTLAND, Oregon -- A half-dozen Japanese reporters and news crews were stationed at the U.S. District Courthouse here, waiting for the arrival of a Beaverton man scheduled to return to Japan to face gun-smuggling charges. But Kozo Wada, 45, never showed. Chris Schatz, an assistant federal defender who is representing Wada, speculated Thursday this his client fled because he feared returning to Japan. Schatz said the prospect... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Student Imports Thai Gun to Commit Suicide
Mainichi Shimbun (Japan)
26 August 2004
OSAKA -- A woman charged with importing a gun from Thailand has told police that she wanted to commit suicide in front of her mother because she couldn't forgive her for remarrying. "I couldn't forgive my mother because she remarried without consulting me and her attitude suddenly became cold," Sachiyo Nakanishi, was quoted as telling Osaka Prefectural Police and customs officials. "I thought I'd commit suicide in front... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Fourth Among Gun Importers, Says Small Arms Survey
Kyodo News (Japan)
1 July 2004
GENEVA -- Japan was the world's fourth largest small arms importer in 2001 after the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Cyprus, with $151 million worth of imports of items mainly for the Self-Defense Forces, according to a study released by a Geneva-based institute Wednesday. The study titled "Small Arms Survey 2004: Rights at Risk" by the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva also showed that Japan ranked ninth among countries... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Vast Budget Fuels Huge Arms Industry
Japan Times
20 June 2004
Deep in the heart of Aichi Prefecture is the headquarters of an engineering company founded 100 years ago to make textile looms. Having borne the name Howa Machinery, Ltd. since 1945, today its products range from window frames to road-sweepers -- but it also derives around 12 percent of its business from weapons sales. In fact, 2004 marks the 40th year since its Type 64 rifle and 81mm mortar were selected by the Defense Agency for use by... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Spontaneous Poll in Park: Would You Use a Gun?
Japan Today
20 February 2004
Japan Today's Sachie Kanda dropped into Hibiya Park to ask: If Japanese public security gets worse in future, how would you like to protect yourself? Would you use a gun? Taro Tanaka, 23 "If someone threatens me on the street late at night, I'll beat the crap out of him with a sharp karate kick. I've been learning karate for eight years. I know I can protect myself in that kind of situation. For people who don't know karate,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Concern Over Gun Sales Through Internet
Xinhua
12 February 2004
TOKYO -- More than a quarter of illegal guns seized by Japanese police last year were traded through Internet, the National Police Agency said Thursday. The police confiscated 785 guns in 2003, up 38 from the previous year. Of the seizures, a record number of 201 were bought via Internet, the agency said, adding people without gang affiliations are having easier access to weapons. The number of shooting cases stood at 139... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Gun Enthusiasts Drive Booming Illegal Gun Trade
Mainichi Shimbun (Japan)
12 February 2004
The number of handguns police seized from online traders has shot up by nearly 75 percent in 2003 from the corresponding figure a year before, a National Police Agency (NPA) report has shown. The report published on Thursday also revealed that gun enthusiasts have clearly overtaken members of gang organizations as the number one customers in the illegal gun trade. A total of 785 pistols were confiscated in Japan and 451 of them,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Man Turns Gun on Self After Shooting 2 Policemen
Mainichi Daily News (Japan)
1 February 2004
KOBE -- A man fatally shot himself in the head on a street here after shooting two policemen answering an emergency call, officers said. A local resident in Sayo, Hyogo Prefecture, made the call to local police at about 11:30 p.m., Saturday, saying, "There's a man here with a gun." The two police officers from the Sayo Police Station rushed to the scene -- in front of a restaurant owned by the man's ex-wife -- when the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Clinton Discusses Gun Control With Parents of Boy Slain in US
Kyodo News
20 November 2003
NAGOYA -- Former U.S President Bill Clinton on Wednesday met with the parents of a Japanese high school exchange student who was shot dead in Louisiana in 1992, their first reunion since they met 10 years ago at the White House. Clinton, who has actively sought stricter gun controls since the incident, chatted with the boy's parents, Masaichi and Mieko Hattori. Clinton visited the Hattoris after delivering a lecture at Aichi Gakuin... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Guardian Angels to Promote No Gun Campaign at Roppongi
Japan Today
27 October 2003
TOKYO -- The Alliance of Guardian Angels, Inc (www.guardianangels.or.jp) will hold a "Stop Guns Caravan" campaign for the 9th time at Roppongi Hills Arena on Nov 11. The campaign aims to eradicate gun crimes which are on the increase in Japan. The theme of the campaign is "No! Guns 2003 in Roppongi Hills," and is being supported by Mori Building Co, Ltd. There will be short videos promoting "No! Guns" at 200 places inside... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Japan
Japanese Gun Dealer in US on Wanted List for Smuggling
Mainichi Daily News (Japan)
1 August 2003
A Japanese gun shop owner in the United States has been placed on a police wanted list in Japan for smuggling weapons into the country through Internet sales, police said. The man, Kozo Wada, 44, is accused of violating the Swords and Firearms Control Law by selling items from his store in Oregon to collectors in Japan. A search of Wada's family home in Yao, Osaka, reportedly uncovered a machine gun and six handguns. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Assemblyman Under Fire for Using Rifle to Scare Off Birds
Mainichi Shimbun (Japan)
31 July 2003
TOKUSHIMA, Japan -- A local assembly member who used a rifle to save small fish in a rice paddy in Tokushima Prefecture from herons has been arrested for violating firearms laws, police said. The man, Koei Kawatsu, 56, a vice chairman of the Yasugi Municipal Assembly was arrested on suspicion of violating the Swords and Firearms Control Law and the Explosives Control Law after he allegedly fired shots into a flooded paddy on Wednesday.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, Japan
Japanese Envoy Harnesses Arms Campaign to Boost United Nations
Reuters
2 July 2003
UNITED NATIONS -- A Japanese diplomat, concerned the United Nations may be weakened by go-it-alone diplomacy like the U.S.-led war on Iraq, hopes her leadership of a U.N. crackdown on the small arms trade will show multilateralism can still work. "We are at a diplomatic crossroads as to how a multinational institution can serve and make the world a safer place," said Japanese Ambassador Kuniko Inoguchi, who will chair a weeklong... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Authorities Complain Over Armed US Soldier Wandering Around
Kyodo News
3 June 2003
NAHA, Japan -- Japanese authorities filed an unofficial protest with the U.S. military on Monday, a day after a U.S. military police officer was found toting a rifle outside the U.S. Kadena Air Force Base, prompting a promise by the U.S. military to stop the practice. The public affairs office of the Kadena Air Force Base later issued a statement saying while U.S. military police are allowed under the status-of-forces agreement... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Toyshop Owners Nabbed for Powering Up Pop Guns
Mainichi Daily News (Japan)
13 May 2003
TSU, Kobe -- Two men were arrested Tuesday for manufacturing homemade guns and selling them at their toyshop in Kobe, police said. Junichi Tanaka, manager of the "Paradise" toy retailer, and his employer Shogo Yasuda, were arrested on charges of illegally manufacturing firearms. "I just wanted to make powerful guns," Tanaka reportedly told police. Two of their clients were also busted as police seized eight zip guns. Police... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Gov't to Crack Down on Internet Trading of Firearms
Kyodo News
26 April 2003
TOKYO -- The government decided Friday to tighten the crackdown on Internet trading of firearms as the centerpiece of its firearms control program for fiscal 2003, which began in April. A Cabinet Office task force chaired by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda will focus on Net arms trafficking as 115 guns traded over the Internet were seized in Japan in fiscal 2002, a roughly fourfold increase from fiscal 2001, the officials said. ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Ambassador Calls Small Arms "De Facto Weapons of Mass Destruction"
Reuters
23 April 2003
OSLO -- The world must do more to curb illicit trade in small arms that have become "de facto weapons of mass destruction," killing hundreds of thousands of people a year, a disarmament expert said on Wednesday. Kuniko Inoguchi, Japan's ambassador to the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament, said that despite the high death toll, the illicit trade was getting less attention than the alleged chemical and biological arms that were... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
NPA Survey Shows Increase in Firearms Use by Police Officers
Daily Yomiuri (Japan)
3 April 2003
The number of cases in which police officers discharged their handguns in self-defense or for other reasons totaled 30 last year, 1.8 times higher than the previous year's 17 cases, the National Police Agency said Thursday. Of that number, 10 incidents involved shots fired at suspects, marking a twofold increase from 2001. During 2002, two suspects were killed and nine were injured by police officers' gunshots, including warning... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Use of Firearms by Police Doubles in 2002
Kyodo News
3 April 2003
TOKYO -- The number of incidents involving the use of police firearms more than doubled in 2002, jumping from 26 cases in the previous year to 54, the highest in the past five years, the National Police Agency (NPA) said Thursday. In a report presented to the National Public Safety Commission, the NPA said police officers actually fired their guns in 30 cases and pointed their guns at suspects in 24 cases. The firing killed... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan Soaks Up Anti-Gun Message
International Herald Tribune
12 March 2003
TOKYO -- Celebrity-packed casts, fantastic plots and glossy Hollywood effects are usually what draw crowds to movie theaters in Japan. So it might come as something of a surprise that one of the most talked about movies in Tokyo these days is a documentary about the United States' social problems. The movie is "Bowling for Columbine," Michael Moore's look at guns, racism and fear in contemporary America. As in Europe, critics in... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Bidding a Farewell to Arms in Japan
Japan Times
25 February 2003
When a bullet strikes the car in which one is riding, the sound -- a sharp, metallic "WHAP!" -- is unmistakable. This writer has heard it twice in his life, and I hope the second time will be the last. Not all of my experiences with firearms have been like that. My dad, an army officer, gave me a Remington .22 caliber rifle for my eighth birthday. He taught me how to load, aim and shoot, and instructed me in gun safety. So I never... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Parents of Japanese Boy Killed in US Receive Volunteer Award
Kyodo News
3 December 2002
NAGOYA -- The parents of a Japanese boy shot dead while studying in the United States 10 years ago received an award Tuesday from the American Field Service (AFS) Intercultural Programs for their volunteer service in promoting cultural understanding. Masaichi Hattori, 55, and his wife Mieko, 54, became the first Japanese to receive the Galatti Award, which is an international award and the highest commendation granted annually by... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
US Marine Gets Suspended Term for Smuggling Gun
Japan Today / Kyodo
21 November 2002
NAHA -- The Naha District Court sentenced a U.S. Marine stationed at Camp Hansen in Okinawa Prefecture to a three-year prison term, suspended for four years, on Thursday for smuggling a handgun into Japan. Prosecutors had demanded a three-year prison term. Presiding Judge Soichi Hayashida said in handing down the ruling on Lance Corporal Preston Earl, "The crime is serious but the defendant had no intention of actually... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Monthly Gun Haul Goes Easy on Mob
Japan Times
15 November 2002
More than half of the illegal firearms seized by police last month were confiscated from individuals outside of organized crime, the National Police Agency said Thursday. The agency reported that in October -- when police stepped up efforts to crack down on illegal firearms -- 139 guns were seized, up 35 from the same period last year. Of these, 87 were taken from people other than mobsters, up 49 from October last year,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
NPA, Russians to Meet Over Pistol Smuggling
Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan)
7 November 2002
Officials of the National Police Agency will hold talks with their Russian counterparts next week over the smuggling of Makarov pistols by the Russian mafia, as the number of the Russian military firearms seized in Japan has been increasing, the sources said Thursday. The agency will invite four senior officials from the Russian Federal Security Service to Japan on Tuesday. The meeting will mark the first time for the Japanese and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Parents of Japanese Boy Killed in US Appeal for Gun Control
Kyodo News
18 October 2002
TOKYO -- Ten years on since their 16-year-old son was shot dead while studying in the United States as a high school exchange student, the parents of Yoshihiro Hattori from Aichi Prefecture are still campaigning for gun control. Hattori's mother Mieko, 54, and father Masaichi, 55, traveled to the U.S. for two weeks in late September. In addition to visiting Baton Rouge in Louisiana where their son was killed, they also visited a... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Police Reinforce Gun, Drug Control Units
Kyodo News
1 October 2002
TOKYO -- Tokyo police on Tuesday integrated their firearms and drug control sections as part of restructuring aimed at stepping up ways to combat organized crime, which is becoming more complex and diverse, the police said. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) also created sections for dealing with organized crime in 96 of the 101 police stations in Tokyo to prepare for the establishment next spring of a bureau at the headquarters... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan, United Nations
Japan to Propose United Nations Meeting on Illicit Small-Arms Trade
Kyodo News
9 September 2002
GENEVA -- Japan has drafted a U.N. resolution urging the world body to address the issue of the illicit global trade in small arms that critics say are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. A draft of the resolution, made available to Kyodo News on Friday, calls on the U.N. General Assembly to convene a conference of states in July or September next year to address the matter. The United Nations adopted... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Gang Warfare Lull Cuts Number of Gunshot Victims
Japan Times
9 August 2002
The number of shootings in Japan in the first half of this year declined by 43 from a year ago to 88 due to a de-escalation in gang warfare, but only 22 were probed, the National Police Agency said Thursday. The agency said that 22 of the 88 cases were investigated and reckoned that 58 of them were gang-related. The number of homicides and armed robberies involving guns fell by 22 to 71, agency officials said, adding that... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Shootings Raise Questions About Police Gun Use
Asahi Shimbun (Japan)
29 April 2002
Police officials admit more warning shots are being fired since regulations on police gun use were relaxed in December. The fatal shooting of two suspects by police officers this month has raised questions on officers use of guns and the effect of revised regulations on police weapons use. Debate over the appropriateness of the shootings has also prompted the National Police Agency to consider making public reports on fatal... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Aichi Cops Admit to Faking Gun Discovery
Kyodo News
13 April 2002
NAGOYA -- Three Aichi Prefectural Police officers fabricated the confiscation of a handgun last July in an attempt to make it appear that the firearm, which had actually been seized in Osaka, was found in Aichi Prefecture, it was learned Friday. According to prefectural police officials, they include a 54-year-old assistant inspector and 52-year-old sergeant. The three have admitted to the allegations, saying they wanted... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Conventional Arms Cut Office to Be Set Up
Kyodo News
17 March 2002
TOKYO -- The Foreign Ministry will set up an office April 1 to promote conventional weapons disarmament abroad by encouraging demining operations and collection of small arms, government sources said Sunday. The tentatively called conventional weapons office with six to seven members will deal only with conventional arms and not weapons of mass destruction namely nuclear, biological and chemical arms, the sources said. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Police Find Illegal Lethal Air Guns Sold on Internet
Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan)
13 February 2002
M29 air guns, the production of which was suspended 16 years ago due to worry that they could kill people, are currently being sold via Internet auction sites, and have been seized lately by police in increasing numbers, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. The air guns were banned shortly after they were put on the market, but several hundred of the guns are estimated to be in the hands of the public, an MPD official... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan, United Nations
Terror Attacks Highlight Illicit Trade in Small Arms
Kyodo News
25 January 2002
TOKYO -- Participants in an international conference on illicit trade in small arms have agreed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States have helped highlight the issue, a conference official said Friday. The participants from 32 governments and a number of organizations, including nongovernmental organizations and research institutes, agreed during three days of talks ending Friday that the attacks had the effect of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan Prepares to Tangle With Soccer Hooligans
Reuters
22 January 2002
TOKYO, Japan -- Soccer hooligans, beware. Japan's reputation as a safe nation might make it a tempting target for unruly soccer fans to stir up some violence at this summer's World Cup event, but police here are confident they can restrain their enemies with a unique new weapon: the net gun. Anyone going wild will be trapped under a net and they won't be able to move, said Masahisa Tamura, a press officer at the Sapporo Police Headquarters... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Tokyo to Host International Small Arms Conference
Kyodo News
21 January 2002
TOKYO -- The Foreign Ministry will host a three-day international meeting starting Wednesday to follow up on an action plan adopted last July by the United Nations to curb illicit global shipments of small weapons, ministry officials said Monday. Representatives from more than 30 U.N. member nations and nongovernmental organizations are expected to participate in the meeting to discuss measures to realize the plan, the officials... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan Eyes Extension of Small Arms-Collection Program
Japan Times
18 January 2002
Nearly 10 months after launching a guns for butter program in Cambodia, Japan is preparing to extend the pilot project to include other conflict-plagued, impoverished countries around the globe, especially in Asia and Africa. According to Foreign Ministry sources, Japan is considering cooperating with the U.N. Development Program's small arms-collection and development efforts in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. Japan... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japan's Disarmament Policy to Shift to Small Arms
Kyodo News
6 January 2002
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will announce in a policy speech before the Diet later this month a shift in Japan's disarmament policy to the reduction of conventional weapons such as small arms and land mines, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Sunday. Japan will make the cuts in conventional arms a new pillar in the country's disarmament policy, as the reduction of weapons of mass destruction, which Japan had considered a priority,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Japanese Police Arrest God of Garbage
Reuters
21 December 2001
TOKYO -- A Japanese sanitation worker known as the God of Garbage was arrested by police this week for threatening a bar owner at knifepoint because he refused to separate his trash, the Mainichi Daily news reported. Mizuo Tamura, 55, a manager in the environmental section in the Kajiki municipal government, was arrested for breaking Japan's Firearms and Swords Control Law early on Thursday, the newspaper said in its online edition.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Police Seize 890 Guns in January-November
Kyodo News
21 December 2001
TOKYO -- Police forces seized 890 guns nationwide from January to November, 34 more than in the same period last year, the National Police Agency (NPA) said Thursday. The agency also said in a report on firearms that there were 207 reported shooting incidents during the period, almost double last year's figure. Seventy-one cases were gang-war related. The report said there has been an increase in the number of people who... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Public Needs More Details to Monitor Police Gun Use
Asahi Shimbun (Japan), Editorial
20 November 2001
Restrictions on when police can use their firearms have been revised in the National Public Safety Commission's rules, with the changes to take effect Dec. 1. This is the first significant change in police gun rules in 39 years. The current rules set out for conditions for police use of weapons at a crime scene. Police must first try to subdue the suspect with a nightstick or some weapon other than a gun. They must then shout a... ( gunpolicy.org )
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