Firearm News
Japan's Strict Gun Laws Make Shootings Rare
8 July 2022
CNN
The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has shocked Japan, a country with one of the world's lowest rates of gun crime due to its strict laws on gun ownership.
Abe was shot dead on Friday in the city of Nara while delivering a campaign speech, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.
Gun violence is extremely rare in Japan.
In 2018, Japan, a country of 125 million people, only reported nine deaths from firearms -- compared with 39,740 that year in... (GunPolicy.org)
Former Prime Minister Shot Despite Strict Gun Laws
8 July 2022
Newsweek
The shooting of former Japanese prime minister Abe Shinzo has shocked his country, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world.
Current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Abe was in a "severe condition" following the incident during a campaign speech on Friday.
With a population of 127 million, the annual death toll from guns in Japan is frequently less than the number who might die in a single mass shooting in the U.S. In 2018 there were only nine... (GunPolicy.org)
Rare Shooting in Japan Shocks Nation
8 July 2022
Bloomberg
The last time a current or former Japanese prime minister was shot and killed was 90 years ago. It's a measure of just how rare and shocking gun violence is in the country, where ownership of firearms is strictly controlled.
The blast that felled Shinzo Abe on Friday -- with a homemade shotgun, according to reports -- happened while he was campaigning on behalf of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Nara, a city east of Osaka. Abe was giving a speech in front of a... (GunPolicy.org)
Japan has Lowest Gun Violence in World Thanks to Strict Gun Control Laws
8 July 2022
Anadolu Agency
Although former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot twice at an election campaign event in the Nara region, statistics show that Japan has one of the lowest rates of gun violence in the world.
It is believed that Japan owes its strict gun laws largely to the US because, after World War II, Americans shaped the gun policy and forced a firearm ban legislation in the East Asian nation.
According to the Small Arms Survey -- a global organization that keeps tabs on arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Shinzo Abe Assassinated with Homemade Firearm
8 July 2022
Sydney Morning Herald
Shinzo Abe, a towering figure in Japanese and global politics, was assassinated on Friday, sending shockwaves around Japan and the world.
The former prime minister fought for his life in hospital but died later in the day. His wife of more than 30 years, Akie Abe, arrived by his side just before 5pm local time. Abe was pronounced dead at 5.03pm.
Japanese leader Fumio Kishida had said doctors "were doing everything" they could to save the 67-year-old but the Liberal... (GunPolicy.org)
Shinzo Abe's Assassination and Firearm Control in Japan
8 July 2022
Action on Armed Violence (AOAV)
In response to the tragic news of the fatal shooting of the ex-PM of Japan, Shinzo Abe, AOAV outlines a brief history of Japan's relationships to guns and its strict approach to gun control.
First it should be noted that there is a very low firearm homicide rate in Japan. In 2017, there were 14,532 homicides by firearm in America, but just 1 in Japan .[1]
In 2018 (the latest figures published by WHO), the total number of people killed by guns in Japan – including... (GunPolicy.org)
China's position on Gun Control
20 September 2021
CNN
Last week, a 47-year-old man stormed into a law firm in China's Wuhan city and shot dead a lawyer who he had 'some disputes with,' according to Chinese state media. He then stuffed his gun, just under 20 inches (50 centimeters) long, into a tennis racket bag and left.
The fatal shooting shocked many in China, which has some of the world's strictest gun control laws -- so much so, that some people thought initial reports were about yet another American shooting.
'When... (GunPolicy.org)
Chinese Arms Smuggled to Myanmar Armed Groups Via Laos
28 January 2020
Asia Times
In recent months, Asian intelligence officials and well-placed ethnic sources have confirmed to Asia Times that much of the Chinese weaponry purchased by the UWSA [United Wa State Army] since 2011 has been channeled through neighboring Laos.
Official end-user certificates (EUCs) issued to cover exports by state-run manufacturers such as North China Industries Group Corporation (NORINCO) and China National Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation (responsible for... (GunPolicy.org)
Public Health Response to Suicide In Japan Leads to Decrease
8 April 2019
Reuters
AKITA, Japan - Taeko Watanabe awoke one cold March night and found a trail of blood in the hallway, a bloody cleaver on her son Yuki's bed and no trace of him in the house. Then police discovered a suicide note in his bedroom.
"They found him in a canal by the temple and wrapped him in a blanket. After an autopsy, he came home in a coffin. I fell apart," she recalled, eyes welling up as she sat by a photo of Yuki and a Buddhist altar laden with flowers and Fuji... (GunPolicy.org)
150,000 Illicit Guns in Circulation in Japan
20 April 2018
News Post7
…In fact, it is estimated that 150,000 guns, hundreds of times more than the amount seized, are in illegal circulation. In recent years, the crackdown has become stricter and this figure is still decreasing. A long time ago, it was said that 200,000 guns were in circulation. Most of the owners are... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Yemen,China,Israel,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,Germany,India,Canada,Austria,Australia,Mexico,United States,Japan,South Africa
How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
2 March 2018
New York Times
Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. The process takes months in some countries. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 15 of them. Many countries have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.
United States
1) Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status.
2) Buy a gun. Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and... (GunPolicy.org)
How South Korea Got Rid of Its Gun Problem
27 February 2018
Korea Exposé
In the aftermath of yet another mass shooting in the United States, international and domestic media have published articles touting South Korea as a model of gun regulation. But contrary to popular belief, freedom from gun violence is a relatively new development in the country.
It's true that South Korea is a good place to visit these days if you're trying to avoid guns. According to the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), there were just five gun homicides in... (GunPolicy.org)
Putting Guns Away for Good: Can Japan eliminate firearms?
24 April 2017
Asia & the Pacific Policy Forum
A decline in private firearms ownership and no recognisable gun culture means that Japan is positioned to be the world's first country to reverse the gunpowder revolution, writes Aaron Karp.
Four-hundred years ago Japan eradicated virtually all firearms. Today the country may be on the cusp of an equally far-reaching, albeit far gentler, transformation.
Although Japan's private gun ownership rose during the 20th century, today's levels are not just small but rapidly... (GunPolicy.org)
In China, Life Sentence or Even Death for Replica Firearms [ES]
2 November 2016
W Radio (Colombia), EFE News Agency
[Translated Summary: China's strict legislation on firearms can cause firearm replica owners to be accused of trafficking, and go to jail. Even a life sentence or the death penalty are possible in severe cases. The definition of a firearm includes any weapon that can shoot with a force of more than 1.8 joules per square centimetre. This prohibits many replicas.]
La estricta legislación china sobre armas de fuego puede provocar que los propietarios de réplicas sean... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Saudi Arabia,South Korea,United Kingdom,Germany,Algeria,Switzerland,Netherlands,United Arab Emirates,Turkey,France
Germany Defends Its Sudden Leap in Gun, Ammo Exports [ES]
26 October 2016
Deutsche Welle
[Translated summary: Between January and June 2016, Germany exported firearms and military equipment amounting to €4 billion; an increase of 500 million in relation to the same period in 2015. The government defended its firearm export policy, saying that it's restrictive and transparent and assuring that they give a "special relevance" to the respect of human rights.]
Entre enero y junio de 2016 Alemania concedió permisos de exportación de armas y equipamiento... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Australia,New Zealand,Japan,Switzerland,France,Poland,Iraq
German Ammo Sales Up Tenfold, €4 Billion Arms Sales in 2016
25 October 2016
Mo4ch (US)
Germany's small arms ammunition sales have increased by 10 times in the first 6 months of 2016, while total arms sales have reached €4 billion over the same period and have set a new record, Deutsche-Presse Agentur (DPA) says, citing a government report.
The total value of the small arms ammo export contracts has risen from €27 million ($29.3 million) in the first half of 2015 to €283.8 million ($308 million) in the first six months of 2016, the reports says,... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,Afghanistan,Russia,Central Asia,Pakistan,China,Turkey,Brazil
UN Rule of Thumb Suggests 600,000 Illegal Guns in Australia
21 October 2016
Age (Melbourne)
As many as 600,000 illegal guns could be circulating in the Australian underworld, but national efforts to control the spread is being hampered by inconsistencies between states, a firearms intelligence report has found.
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission report on guns - to be released on Friday, the same day as state and federal government representatives meet to thrash out a way to combat illegal firearms - also backs a national amnesty.
Chris Dawson,... (GunPolicy.org)
Papua New Guinea Seizes Undeclared Guns Intended for Police
13 October 2016
Pacific Islands Report
PORT MORESBY – Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari, pictured, says a shipment of police firearms sent from South Korea to Port Moresby was impounded in Lae by Customs because they were not properly declared.
Lupari, the National Security Advisory Council chairman, was commenting yesterday on the 280 semi-automatic guns seized by Customs in Lae and locked up at the Defence Force's Igam Barracks.
"Those were ordered by police through the private sector," Lupari told The... (GunPolicy.org)
South Korea: Surge in Gun Smuggling Worries Politician
10 October 2016
Yonhap News Agency (South Korea)
SEOUL -- A lawmaker from the ruling Saenuri Party said Monday the customs office detected 246 attempts to smuggle guns and related items into the country though August this year, adding South Korea can no longer be considered safe from firearms.
According to the data compiled by Rep. Park Myung-jae, the Korea Customs Office caught seven shipments of fully functioning guns, as well as 171 other imitation firearms, which could potentially be used for crimes this... (GunPolicy.org)
China,Eastern Europe,Saudi Arabia,Turkey,Syria,Iraq
'Almost Direct' Supply Chain Sells Guns from Europe to ISIS
11 September 2016
Huffington Post (UK)
Islamic State fighters are illegally using guns and other weapons made in Eastern European factories, in a newly-discovered supply chain that is "almost direct", a weapons expert has claimed.
James Bevan, the director of Conflict Armament Research (CAR), told The Huffington Post UK that investigations this summer have seen a rapid, frightening change in the source of weapons used by the so-called Islamic State to fight other groups and carry out massacres.
These... (GunPolicy.org)