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In January 2008, then-Prime Minister Yasuo Fu<i></i>kuda of Japan's ruling conservative [[Liberal Democratic Party of Japan|LDP]], in response to an increase in violent crimes committed by minors and organised crime (''bouryokudan'' 暴力団), called for an amendment to the constitution, to allow for even tighter firearms control measures.<ref>"LDP's platform to call for a new Constitution"; http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070524a3.html.</ref>
In January 2008, then-Prime Minister Yasuo Fu<i></i>kuda of Japan's ruling conservative [[Liberal Democratic Party of Japan|LDP]], in response to an increase in violent crimes committed by minors and organised crime (''bouryokudan'' 暴力団), called for an amendment to the constitution, to allow for even tighter firearms control measures.<ref>"LDP's platform to call for a new Constitution"; http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070524a3.html.</ref>
Extensive police authority is one reason the Japanese gun control system works. Another reason is that Japan has no cultural history of gun ownership by citizens.<ref>This culture dates back to the "Sword Hunt" (''taiko no katanagari'') declared on 29 August 1588, by one General Hideyoshi Toyotomi, which prohibited the ownership of swords and firearms by the non-noble classes. He decreed: "The people in the various provinces are strictly forbidden to have in their possession any swords, short swords, bows, spears, firearms or other arms. The possession of unnecessary implements makes difficult the collection of taxes and tends to foment upprisings... Therefore the heads of provinces, official agents and deputies are ordered to
Extensive police authority is one reason the Japanese gun control system works. Another reason is that Japan has no cultural history of gun ownership by citizens.
collect all the weapons mentioned above and turn them over to the Government.</ref>
This culture (or lack thereof) dates back to the "Sword Hunt" (''taiko no katanagari'') declared on 29 August 1588, by one General Hideyoshi Toyotomi, which prohibited the ownership of swords and firearms by the non-noble classes. He decreed: "The people in the various provinces are strictly forbidden to have in their possession any swords, short swords, bows, spears, firearms or other arms. The possession of unnecessary implements makes difficult the collection of taxes and tends to foment uprisings... Therefore the heads of provinces, official agents and deputies are ordered to collect all the weapons mentioned above and turn them over to the Government." It can be argued that this marked the end of social freedom in Japan. The abolition of firearms probably would not have succeeded if Japan had a free economy or a free political system at the time.
==Gun Control and Crime==
==Gun Control and Crime==
The Firearms Act opens by stating "No-one shall possess a fire-arm or fire-arms or a sword or swords" and there are very few exceptions to this rule.<ref>'Law Controlling Possession, Etc. of Fire-Arms and Swords' (1978), Law No 6, Art 3, EHS Law Bulletin Series, No 3920.</ref> The only firearm a Japanese citizen may own is a rifle or shotgun. Sportsmen are permitted to possess shotguns or rifles for hunting (hunting licenses are valid for 3 years) and for skeet and trap shooting, but only after a lengthy licensing procedure.<ref>'Law Controlling Possession, Etc. of Fire-Arms and Swords' (1978), Law No 6, Art 4-23</ref> Without a license, a person may not even hold a gun in their hands.
The Firearms Act opens by stating "No-one shall possess a fire-arm or fire-arms or a sword or swords" and there are very few exceptions to this rule.<ref>'Law Controlling Possession, Etc. of Fire-Arms and Swords' (1978), Law No 6, Art 3, EHS Law Bulletin Series, No 3920.</ref> The only firearm a Japanese citizen may own is a rifle or shotgun. Sportsmen are permitted to possess shotguns or rifles for hunting (hunting licenses are valid for 3 years) and for skeet and trap shooting, but only after a lengthy licensing procedure.<ref>'Law Controlling Possession, Etc. of Fire-Arms and Swords' (1978), Law No 6, Art 4-23</ref> Without a license, a person may not even hold a gun in their hands. Civilians may also apply for licenses to possess air rifles, but can never own handguns. In addition, the ownership of small calibre rifles was outlawed in 1971, and although current rifle license holders may continue to own them, their heirs must turn them into the police when the license-holder dies.
This has resulted in a tiny proportion of citizens owning guns privately (approximately 150 000 licenses in a population of 100 million <ref>0.6% of households, in a population of 100 million and assuming 4 people per household</ref>). However, gun-related crimes in Japan are also infrequent.
This has resulted in a tiny proportion of citizens owning guns privately (approximately 150 000 licenses in a population of 100 million <ref>0.6% of households, in a population of 100 million and assuming 4 people per household</ref>). However, gun-related crimes in Japan are also infrequent.
Even if they pass the safety exam, applicants then undertake a simple "mental aptitude test" at a local hospital, which ensures that the applicant is not suffering from any readily detectable mental illness. The applicant then provides the police with a medical certificate attesting that they are is mentally sound and not addicted to drugs. The total cost of the procedure is some ￥15000 ($150), with an additional ￥17000 ($170) for a 3-month hunting license.<ref>Article 29 of the Act</ref>
Even if they pass the safety exam, applicants then undertake a simple "mental aptitude test" at a local hospital, which ensures that the applicant is not suffering from any readily detectable mental illness. The applicant then provides the police with a medical certificate attesting that they are is mentally sound and not addicted to drugs. The total cost of the procedure is some ￥15000 ($150), with an additional ￥17000 ($170) for a 3-month hunting license.<ref>Article 29 of the Act</ref>
The police then investigate the applicant's background, including his relatives, to ensure that both have no criminal records. In addition, known membership of "aggressive" political or activist groups automatically disqualifies an applicant. The police have the discretion to deny licenses to any person for whom "there is reasonable cause to suspect may be dangerous to other persons' lives or properties or to the public peace." <ref>Articles 5-1 and 6-3 of the Act</ref>
The test and all-day lecture are only held once a month. The lecture almost always requires that the licensee take a full day off from work--not a highly regarded activity by Japanese employers. An annual gun inspection is scheduled at the convenience of the police, and also requires time off from work. Licenses must be renewed every three years, with another all-day safety lecture and examination at police headquarters.
Successful applicants are required to store their weapons in a locker, with any ammunition being kept in a separate locked safe. They are required to provide the police with a map of their apartment, which clearly indicates the location of the locker. The license also allows the holder to purchase a few thousand rounds of ammunition, with each transaction being registered.
===Is Japan Safe?===
There is no mandatory minimum penalty for unlicensed firearm possession. Some 81% of convictions for illegal firearm or sword possession usually result in sentences of a year or more, possibly due to the fact that the majority of gun-related crimes are committed by gangsters. The maximum penalty is ten years in prison and a one million yen ($10000) fine.
Gun-related crimes do exist, but in very low numbers. There were only 30 reported crimes committed in 1989, using shotguns or air rifles.<ref>White Paper on Police 1990, Page 80</ref> Most violent crimes perpetrated with a handgun, are committed by members of the ''Bouryokudan'', although must gun-related crimes that come to trial involve unlicensed possession, and not the commission of another crime. Including the possession cases, there are about 600 handgun crimes a year and 900 long gun crimes.<ref>D Bayley; Forces of Order: Police Behavior in Japan and the United States; University of California Press; 1976; p 168</ref>
Tokyo is ranked amongst the safest major cities in the world. Actually Japanese cities account for 9 of the top 15 safest cities in the world <ref>http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/story.aspx?guid={78f1eec7-f1aa-4399-9aaf-f4767058a956}&sit</ref> Only 59,000 licensed gun owners live in Tokyo and er one million inhabitants, Tokyo has 40 reported muggings a year<ref>White Paper on Police 1990</ref> The official homicide rate in Japan in 1988 was 1.2 homicide cases per 100,000 population.
Robbery is almost as rare as murder. Indeed, armed robbery and murder are both so rare that they usually make the national news, regardless of where they occur. Japan's robbery rate is 1.4 per 100,000 inhabitants. People can still walk anywhere in Japan at night.
===Comparison of Gun Crime Statistics Worldwide===
===Comparison of Gun Crime Statistics Worldwide===