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Do You Know About Japan’s Highly-Restrictive Gun Laws? ‘The Polar Opposite’ of America’s Second Amendment

Jan. 28, 2013 8:48am
These Are Japans Highly Restrictive Gun Laws | Second Amendment

Credit: AP

When it comes to gun control, Japan differs greatly from the United States. To begin, handguns are banned in the East Asian nation and heavy restrictions are placed on other weapons. And while firearms are few and far between in Japanese culture, so is gun violence. With 130 million residents, there were only seven gun murders in 2011. In contrast, in the U.S., thousands of killings are conducted using firearms each year.

Considering the disparity in the number of gun-related deaths, some might question whether Japan’s restrictive policies are helping keep these rates low. However, such a discussion is a contentious one that involves intense cultural and legal analysis. July 2012 report by The Atlantic describes the policy differences surrounding and governing weapons:

Even the most basic framework of Japan’s approach to gun ownership is almost the polar opposite of America’s. U.S. gun law begins with the second amendment’s affirmation of the “right of the people to keep and bear arms” and narrows it down from there. Japanese law, however, starts with the 1958 act stating that “No person shall possess a firearm or firearms or a sword or swords,” later adding a few exceptions. In other words, American law is designed to enshrine access to guns, while Japan starts with the premise of forbidding it. The history of that is complicated, but it’s worth noting that U.S. gun law has its roots in resistance to British gun restrictions, whereas some academic literature links the Japanese law to the national campaign to forcibly disarm the samurai, which may partially explain why the 1958 mentions firearms and swords side-by-side.

But it’s not as though guns don’t exist in Japan; in fact, hundreds of thousands of weapons are registered and in use. Though its gun ownership rates are tiny compared to the United States, Japan has more than 120,000 registered gun owners and more than 400,000 firearms.

So, what’s the secret to the low gun violence rate? Some Japanese argue that the cultural view on firearms, mixed with the tough laws, is what helps keep violent gun death rates low.

“We have a very different way of looking at guns in Japan than people in the United States,” said Tsutomu Uchida, who runs the KanagawaOhi Shooting Range, an Olympic-style training center for rifle enthusiasts. “In the U.S., people believe they have a right to own a gun. In Japan, we don’t have that right. So our point of departure is completely different.”

These Are Japans Highly Restrictive Gun Laws | Second Amendment

Credit: Getty Images 

Treating gun ownership as a privilege and not a right leads to some important policy differences (let’s also keep in mind that Japan even registers Samurai swords, as reported recently by CNN). To say that the East Asian nation is strict on firearms is an understatement, as the process to obtain a weapon is intense.

First, anyone who wants to get a gun must demonstrate a valid reason why they should be allowed to do so. Under longstanding Japanese policy, there is no good reason why any civilian should have a handgun, so — aside from a few dozen accomplished competitive shooters — they are completely banned. This, of course, runs in contradiction to the U.S. Constitution, which affords Americans the right to bear arms.

In Japan, gun violence doesn’t come regularly — and when it does, the Associated Press claims that it is attributable to criminals. Virtually all handgun-related crime comes at the hands of gangsters, who obtain them on the black market. But such crime is extremely rare and when it does occur, police crack down hard on whatever gang is involved, so even gangsters see it as a last-ditch option.

There is an exception in firearm policy, though. Rifle ownership is allowed for the general public, but it is still tightly controlled. Applicants first must go to their local police station and declare their intent. After a lecture and a written test comes range training, then a background check. Police likely will even talk to the applicant’s neighbors to see if he or she is known to have a temper, financial troubles or an unstable household. And on the mental health front, doctor must sign a form saying the applicant has not been institutionalized and is not epileptic, depressed, schizophrenic, alcoholic or addicted to drugs.

And the restrictions don’t end there. Gun owners must tell the police where in the home the gun will be stored. It must be kept under lock and key, must be kept separate from ammunition, and preferably chained down. It’s legal to transport a gun in the trunk of a car to get to one of the country’s few shooting ranges, but if the driver steps away from the vehicle and gets caught, that’s a violation.

In a recent CNN report, one man who went through the process said that it took a total of 40 days for him to take the classes, file the necessary paperwork, get medical clearance and obtain his gun. Despite the elongated process, the individual said that he supports the process.

“This is a tool that can end someone’s life,” he said. “There should be a strict screening process.”

Watch the report, below, which sheds further light on the process and the legalities surrounding it:

While these regulations may seem like a dream-come-true for gun control advocates, people like Uchida claim that Japan’s gun laws are frustrating, overly complicated and can seem capricious — all elements that would be viewed as problematic and unconstitutional to conservative Americans who do not currently live under such regulatory structures. 

“It would be great if we had an organization like the National Rifle Association to stand up for us,” he said, though he acknowledged that there is no significant movement in Japan to ease gun restrictions.

Despite his view on the NRA and gun rights, Uchida noted that cultural differences would make applying American laws to Japan quite problematic. Furthermore, he said that the Japan’s system wouldn’t work in the U.S., citing the tendency for Japanese to defer to authority and place a very high premium on an ordered, low-crime society.

“We have our way of doing things, and Americans have theirs,” said Yasuharu Watabe, 67, who has owned a gun for 40 years. “But there need to be regulations. Put a gun in the wrong hands, and it’s a weapon.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

–

Related:

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Comments (104)

1 2 3
  • mikem1969
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 10:10am

    There are many differences between Japan and the US. First, there is NO MULTICULTURALISM. Yes libies and progies, MULTICULTURALISM breeds violence. Second, THEY ENFORCE THEIR LAWS STRICTLY. In other words, criminals don’t have more rights than the victims. Third, the Japanese culture has always been a submissive type of culture. Now they still have violent crime, gang crime, and so on. Also note that CRIMINALS are the ones using the firearms in CRIMES in Japan. Hmm, I guess that means obozo needs to stop supporting the thugs in places like chicrapo.

    Report this comment

    mikem1969  
    • layosh
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 10:53am

      Agree. I spent almost 9 years in Japan, and can tell you that the culture is different, and there are no slums, ghettos, there. The country is a big overwroweded city with a totally suburbian mentality.
      So is the crime rate. Criminals, like the members of yakusa, may evn vield membership cards, and oversee their kind of low and order. That is why there is no or very little drug use, there is no crystal meth infestation. yakusa eliominates rug delers more efficiently than teh poice, and police shuts one eye on instances like that. If you ant gn in Japan, you canhave it at cost, buy it from Irnians Russians, Koreans… mainly crime sindicates. yakua has is own sources, of course. Law abiding citizens are forced to use clubs, knowes, stones, andthey do their own share of killing when it comes to that, they do their own share of killing buziness partners, wifs, neighbours or themelves. One also has to note that suicid, unlike in uUS, is a favored conflict reslution in Japan. That should be added to the violent acts, and statistics shows that japn is a nation with the highest suicide rate in teh world.
      Now, if you compare the gun violence of the suburbia-US to cities-Japan, add all the suicides of desperate people, wo feel desperate and hopleless, you will find little or no difference.
      This tells me that the gun laws have little or nothing to do with the outcome. therefore I hugly prever the US gun laws, that give as protection from tyranny and reduces suicide rates.

      Report this comment

      layosh  
    • Beepster
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 1:39pm

      There’s one major difference between the two countries: Our constitutions are different, so different laws apply. If we had Japan’s constitution, we’d have a whole bunch of dead people/interred people before the laws could be SOMEWHAT enforced.

      Report this comment

      Beepster  
    • OlderCowGirl
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 3:45pm

      I wonder what Japanese citizens would do to defend themselves if China were to invade Japan. Would they now wish they all had a gun to take out as many Chinese as possible? I wonder if China would even invade Japan if they knew that every Japanese person had a gun? Just wondering.

      Report this comment

      OlderCowGirl  
    • Quester55
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:15pm

      Considering the Facts that Japan Could Fit in the united states 20 Times over in Land Mass & the added Facts that, Deadly Snakes, & Wild Beast are a Rarity, over there, Might go a long way to explain the Low Reports of Gun Death or the need for a Gun. But this Crap of having only 8 Reported Deaths by Gun Fire, is a LIE! The Point to look out for is the word, ” REPORTED”< Deaths, These People have a History of Removing their Problems, In the Quickest ways they can, ad as one old D.I. I knew stated, Those Japaneses Sure know what or Who to feed into their Mulching Machines, For their Gardens!
      Next time you visit Japan, Watch where you walk, You might be lucky enough to find a Gold Tooth in the Park, Uncle Fred, Was that you?

      Report this comment

      Quester55  
    • Jim in Houston
      Posted on January 29, 2013 at 2:11pm

      I too have lived in Japan and have strong feelings of affection for the country and its people. However, I remember often reading in the English language newspaper that they had discovered a number of hand guns being smuggled in from Russia, so it is not entirely true that they are all anti-gun.

      Report this comment

      Jim in Houston  
  • LarryL2
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:53am

    You all are brilliantly insane. The gun death rate in every developed country (all having gun laws but the US) is massively lower (as in 9 gun deaths in the US per 100K, < 1 gun death per 100 K in Canada with same games, tv shows and movies).

    This isn't about Japan's culture. It's that you all believe a) Obama is coming after ALL your guns – he's not and b) that nothing needs to change. You are all okay with all the killings and think the answer is more guns. Don't know if you noticed that isn't working.

    LarryL2  
    • resme
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 10:16am

      “The gun death rate in every developed country”

      Yes, England is so developed. England – Boot licking serfs since 700-AD.

      Report this comment

      resme  
    • hard.right
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 10:26am

      larry, look at the UK violent crime rate then come back. forget what tool or how the crime was conducted, just look at the numbers.

      you don’t know jack crap about the world and cultural differences, so stop talking about them. Canda is only ‘multi-cultural’ in Quebec, beyond that, it’s a homogenous culture for the most part, less the native Canadian cultures that pretty much are gone like they are in the US. Anyway. Canada has a lower population, not that it matters so much, but there are some serious problematic enforcement problems w/ 350 million vs 35 million. Don’t believe it, wait a couple years on ObamaCare and see how well we implement a fraction of what Canada does for state run healthcare.

      You need to get your head out-cha **** and think a little instead of spouting stupid gun related death stats that mean nothing.

      Want to crack down and virtually eliminate crime in the first place, somewhat like Japan. Want to change the culture so that kids respect their elders like in Japan. Want to change the culture and be relatively safe walking ANYWHERE in the US like Japan. Great, pull that off and I’ll give up my guns…otherwise, take a hike!

      Report this comment

      hard.right  
    • sputnik
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 10:29am

      @LARRYL2 – You are absolutely insane if you think MS13 is anything like the Japanese Yakuza. You really think that if police crack down on MS13 they will give up their guns? That is just one example of many? A better comparison would be Mexico. Organized crime runs Mexico which also has strict gun laws, and more people die by guns than here. Comparisons of island nations who can control contraband much easier are futile and “insane.”

      Report this comment

      sputnik  
    • Bonnieblue2A
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 11:17am

      Culture, values, and respect for life have everything to do with it. You insanely repeat the talking points of Dear Leader’s lemmings.

      Report this comment

      Bonnieblue2A  
    • OniKaze
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 12:02pm

      @LarryL2

      You, sir, are a fool…

      Maybe OBAMA isn’t coming after our guns ,like you say (although he is….), but politicians have had an eye on the 2nd Amendment for a long time… An Armed citizenry is a threat to dictatorial control that almost every politician spends every night dreaming of…

      Japan IS VERY different from the U.S… And you cannot compare the two. The mindset of the people is 180 degrees out of phase.

      Report this comment

      OniKaze  
  • The_Woofster
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:51am

    See! No guns, and Godzilla and the gang hasn’t attacked in years!

    Report this comment

    The_Woofster  
  • GoodCook
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:48am

    “In Japan, gun violence doesn’t come regularly — and when it does, the Associated Press claims that it is attributable to criminals.”

    And just when is it attibutable to anyone else but criminals?

    Report this comment

    GoodCook  
    • goshawk999
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 1:59pm

      When it (the shooting) is being counted as part of ‘gun violence’. In other words, self defense shootings are part of the ‘gun violence’ statistic being spewed out there by the anti-self defense forces of the U.S.

      Report this comment

      goshawk999  
  • termyt
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:47am

    The article hints at the real issue.

    The Japanese, as a culture, would rather be safe than free. They, again as a collective (individuals may vary), happily forgo rights for the promise of government-sponsored protection. It works well enough for them, but I want liberty.

    A lack of violence is not the same as peace. Ask the girl molested on the train who was arrested for punching the guy groping her because she is the violent one. Ask the small business man paying protection to the Yakuza while police do nothing because it would break the orderly, peaceful society.

    As always, statistics only tell a small part of the story. Japanese culture is every bit as troubled as ours. The lack of gun violence does not make them safer.

    Report this comment

    termyt  
  • GhostOfJefferson
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:46am

    I could care less about their laws. They are a society that for the majority of its existence was big on warlords and elite armed guards having the ability to wack citizenry into small pieces. The one time that Japan acquired the right of the “serfs” to own firearms, saw the end of these abuses and the classes that were perpetrating them. Now they’re disarmed again. Not my concern, their fate is their own and frankly they’re about the most submissive culture you’re likely to find outside of the Chinese.

    Report this comment

    GhostOfJefferson  
    • Rowgue
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 12:17pm

      Exactly. Japan’s legal system is built around an empirical system the intention of which is to keep iron clad control over the citizens with the express purpose of keeping the elites in power.

      The initial law the rest of their regulation is based on was a direct attempt to disarm the people that were fighting back against the government tyranny.

      Report this comment

      Rowgue  
  • Inform
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:44am

    Look at violent crime in general. It is a lot less. They don’t have Chicago style thugs blasting each other over turf wars. The Yakuza is a mafia, not a gang, so their killings are related to non payment of merchandise, whereas gang bangers in south central just shoot each other for fun.

    Report this comment

    Inform  
  • gentugo
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:42am

    When China attacks Japan, they will not be able to defend themselves. Being pacifist in a dangerous world is suicide.

    Report this comment

    gentugo  
    • LarryL2
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:48am

      So when China attacks Japan they should defend with handguns? What is this 1932?

      LarryL2  
    • usedCZARsalesman
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 11:58am

      LARRY…I can 100% GUARANTEE that you can round up ANY five or six people you know and come to my house with those scary “assault rifles” and I’ll use just my S&W .40 and we’ll see how that works out for you.

      You liberals are absolutely PATHETIC…so f’ing cowardly you make me want to vomit. Your argument is that handguns CANNOT be used to defend your property and family against aggressors? Or is it that you are simply so YELLOW BELLIED that you understand that you might actually have to DIE for what you believe in, and you’re too whiny and scared to “take that chance”.

      Either way, I no longer care…when you come for my guns (ANY OF THEM…my ARs, AKs, my handguns, my shotguns…ANY OF THEM), you will leave in a body bag. Federal Agent, Police officer, Brown Shirt, or regular everyday citizen LIKE YOU.

      Report this comment

      usedCZARsalesman  
  • JimCS
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:33am

    Go to Hawaii and see the robust gun range business the Japanese tourists support there. Many Japanese go to HI the way many Americans go to FL (it’s their yearly vacation destination). They go to the shooting range the way we go to mini golf or the go cart track. There is a great appetite for shooting among the Japanese (most likely because it is so taboo an issue back home).

    Report this comment

    JimCS  
  • woodyee
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:32am

    I spent a few years in Japan, and they’re a very subdued people. Setting guns aside, I wonder what their crime rate is? Maybe the road to serfdom isn’t so bad after all, eh, bILLY?

    Hey bILLY hall-O’ well- why write the ’2nd Amendment’ without caps, bILLY hall-O ‘well! Or are you merely editorializing, thus opening your credibility to scrutiny, bILLY hall-O’ well?

    hey, billy hallO’well, why not be consistent, and try writing the story as i do this paragraph? and hey, you can like drop grammar and like punctuation – heck, you know, like even the spell check! think that glenn beck or scott baker or jonathan seidl or meredith jessup could handle that?

    Report this comment

    woodyee  
    • Dave
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 10:49pm

      from what i heard their crime rate is pretty low, though that is probably mainly because of their culture and how strongly they try not to “dishonor” their families. which is also why suicide is so high, because they fail their families expectations and view suicide as “the honorable way out.”

      Report this comment

      Dave  
  • SamIamTwo
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:30am

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate

    Homicide rates…but some these places I would not live near…LOL

    Report this comment

    SamIamTwo  
    • Cavallo
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:58am

      Mexico also has strict gun laws.. hows that working for them?

      Report this comment

      Cavallo  
  • normbal
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:29am

    One more time, Blaze writers. The US Constitution doe NOT “allow” or “afford Americans the right to bear arms.”

    The Second Amendment RECOGNIZES a preexisting right from natural and English common law.

    The right to keep and bear arms is a natural, human, civil, God-given right, inalienable, absolute.

    Without it we are merely slaves to anyone who wishes to be our master.

    History has proven this true time and again. Rwanda, Cuba, Rhodesia (it’s why the country’s now called Zimbabwe), China, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, N. Korea, Venezuela, et. al.

    Gun control is about control, not guns, and leads to mass murder and genocide everywhere it’s applied. Maybe not Japan, not yet; they have suicide rates near the rate of “gun violence” in America. Then there WAS Om Shin Rykyu – the Sarin poison gas attack, and the unfortunate “Rape of Nanking” and Bataan Death March. Japan’s history isn’t much better than the countries cited before.

    Guns Save Life. “Free men will never be disbarred the use of them.” “Free” men. Exactly.

    Report this comment

    normbal  
    • Cavallo
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:56am

      Well said.

      Report this comment

      Cavallo  
    • progressiveslayer
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 10:17am

      Second that.

      Report this comment

      progressiveslayer  
    • Bonnieblue2A
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 11:19am

      and free women!

      Report this comment

      Bonnieblue2A  
    • Anadara
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 11:55am

      Normbal – Totally Agree.

      Report this comment

      Anadara  
    • jwdent
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 1:39pm

      ‘Those Who Do Not Remember their Past
      Are Condemned to Repeat It” – George Santayana
      ForbiddenKnowledgeTV
      Alexandra Bruce
      January 6, 2013

      A Little Gun History:

      In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control.

      From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

      In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

      Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

      China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

      Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

      Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

      Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

      Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million.

      You won’t see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.

      Guns in the hand

      Report this comment

      jwdent  
  • SamIamTwo
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:28am

    I think there is more to it than that…taking one aspect and making a statement is a tough one to debate when there are other influencing factors.

    Report this comment

    SamIamTwo  
  • RaydocX
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:27am

    Japan WITH arms contributed to World War II and demonstrated an utter lack of respect for combatants and civilians not of Japanese blood…. their constitution after the war for those reasons was Draconian regarding weapons and a standing army.

    Fortunately that has been relaxed as the US steps back, and recognizes the other dangers in the region.

    But any suggestion that the nation with much more stringent gun laws is without gun violence or without violent death ignores simple truth and the facts. To be sure there are fewer deaths, but i believe that is primarily a cultural difference… Amerca was founded by people escaping tyranny and has welcomed those fleeing for freedom ever since… Japanese culture includes a willingness to be subservient beyond a Western mind’s undersanding… exemplified by Hari kari

    Report this comment

    RaydocX  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:27am

    Just heard Glenn say on the radio that one of his family members is in the hospital….

    No other news yet. Please send prayers and/or good thoughts.

    The-Monk  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:22am

    The opposite of, “the right to keep and bear arms” would be….

    “The right to keep and arm bears”…. : )

    Report this comment

    The-Monk  
    • termyt
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:38am

      Actually – wouldn’t be “it is wrong to keep and arm bears?”

      Report this comment

      termyt  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:57am

      Hi termyt,

      Two negatives make a positive so I stuck with only one change. : )

      Report this comment

      The-Monk  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:14am

    I would contend that their low gun violence rate is more of an argument AGAINST multiculturalism than an argument FOR stricter gun laws.

    Report this comment

    Gonzo  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:22am

      Nice post, pretty much only one culture in Japan & they have very low violence.

      But wait 14 hours & the professor that posts under Send_the_Meteors will be here to dissemble, obfuscate & lie

      Report this comment

      Walkabout  
    • woodyee
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:36am

      Nice, Gonzo! Would that I were as wise as you!

      Gee, I wonder where MarybethElizabeth is? I could use a cup of coffee…

      Report this comment

      woodyee  
    • GhostOfJefferson
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:41am

      Aye, exactly correct. The analysis of violence in general across societies tends to paint a VERY un-PC friendly set of conclusions. But of course, we’re not allowed to discuss reality in a neutral context.

      Report this comment

      GhostOfJefferson  
    • barber2
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:44am

      GONZO: My first thought was the multiculturalism issue. Obama has certainly used our cultural ” differences” to divide this country and with further immigration easing , this will only increase.

      Report this comment

      barber2  
    • grimmster
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:47am

      True Gonzo, but if i remember correctly, the japs so called “gun laws”, were put in place by the US, as part of their surrender in WWII.Either way, hollowell, please go back to huffpo if you are going to continue to write stories that support your agend.You have made it quite clear you are a liberal, and a hater ot the constitution, much less the second amendment,now if anything i have stated is not true, please,respond to this post, but i doubt you will.Glenn,you still havent “cleaned” the Blaze up yet,get rid of these huffpo rejects…….

      Report this comment

      grimmster  
    • DougHuffman
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:49am

      Japan is not mono-cultural and is horribly racist. See their treatment of their aboriginal Ainu and GaiJin workers, particularly Western females.

      Report this comment

      DougHuffman  
    • 13th Imam
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:55am

      She’s scrubbing my toilets,coffees brewin.

      Report this comment

      13th Imam  
    • Todd Decker
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 10:02am

      Actually, you have a good point there. Any “gainjin” wanting to remain in the country legally or become a citizen has to pass the test(s) on Japanese proficiency, including kanji knowledge (on top of their two phonetic alphabets, which are actually fairly easy to learn). They have to learn Japanese customs, culture, etc. Disarming the populace is indeed part of the cultural element to keep the samurai class from coming back into existence.

      Japan is a fairly safe place. Outside of one incident where a pro-communist group chased me and my best friend when I was stationed there, I never felt that concerned about my safety.

      Report this comment

      Todd Decker  
    • UNALIEN
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 10:49am

      GONZO
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:14am
      I would contend that their low gun violence rate is more of an argument AGAINST multiculturalism than an argument FOR stricter gun laws.
      ———————-

      YES, Japan is a homogenous and “closed” society with a very cohesive culture… the US and West is an “open” society… multiculturalism destroys and weakens a culture,,, Multiculturalism is a Marxist social ideology which asserts that all cultures, races and religions are equal and able to live with harmony within a single state. Multiculturalists advocate the protection and recognition of cultural differences by the state and often also the deliberate creation of cultural differences within a state by promoting excessive immigration. Multiculturalism is opposed to the idea of a dominant national culture as well as to the thought of a Melting Pot, which expects the assimilation into the dominant culture.

      Report this comment

      UNALIEN  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 3:59pm

      DougHuffman
      There is no nation or people that is mono-cultural. But Japan is pretty darn close. We could get into the weeds & discuss the difference between subculture & culture. Heck, the Japanese still have nobles & they probably still marry each other.

      And yes many Japanese can be pretty darn racist. If I remember correctly, they have a epithet referring to Okinawans as “earth spiders”.

      Report this comment

      Walkabout  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:28pm

      & Willingtoupe ran away like most liberal trolls.

      Report this comment

      Walkabout  
  • SudsMan
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:12am

    Here we have a perfect example where the government is seen as the “giver of rights”, as compared to unalienable rights from the Creator. In the US, our freedoms do not come from the government. They come from our Creator, as stated in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Simple concept. It’s this very concept that drives those who want more government intervention and control crazy. From actual laws as passed by Congress, to Executive Orders, to the EPA and to State and local governments, anyone who respects their freedoms can see the root cause of Americans losing more and more of their those freedoms every day.

    Report this comment

    SudsMan  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:08am

    Lucky for us we’re not Japan huh?

    We have our way of doing things, and Americans have theirs,” said Yasuharu Watabe, 67, who has owned a gun for 40 years. “But there need to be regulations. Put a gun in the wrong hands, and it’s a weapon.”

    You’re an idiot sir because a gun is a weapon in everybody’s hands and yes Japan needs regulations for firearms but here we don’t need any,not only because firearms regulations are illegal but as with everything government regulates they end up regulating to the point that you can’t exercise that right.

    Look at all the laws and regulations for firearm ownership and this regime is adding more because this regime and others of the same ilk that follow this one will add yet more laws and regulations infringing on a right that government didn’t give us.

    Report this comment

    progressiveslayer  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:06am

    .
    What is Japans Black population?……..

    Report this comment

    SpankDaMonkey  
  • RJJinGadsden
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:06am

    Suggestion to many of our whining trolls. Learn Japanese. They apparently live the Utopia that you seek. But, be careful. As a number of other posts here have mentioned, it is a totally different culture and even you can find yourself at odds with the populace…..much like you do here.

    Report this comment

    RJJinGadsden  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:32am

      Hi RJJ,

      I don’t think the trolls would like the “people per sq. yard” ratio….

      Well, some of the “funny” ones might.

      Report this comment

      The-Monk  
  • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:05am

    I have lived in Japan, their history before and after WWII drives this policy. Because of being Imperialistic, when they took Okinawa over, they disarmed all of the citizens of every sword and weapon. The Okinawans invented Karate. After WWII, the world made Japan disarm and the Japanese themselves decided they would never allow their Govt. to take them to war again. Thus they are very pacifistic.

    Report this comment

    Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
  • UNALIEN
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 8:58am

    Guns don’t kill people, the culture does,, and the Japanese culture is very different from the US

    The intentional subversion and demoralization of western culture is the issue…

    Report this comment

    UNALIEN  
    • oldguy49
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:07am

      and if memory serves……….the reason that japan did not actually attempt to invade america was that admiral yamamoto{having lived in the us} said there would be a gun behind every bush

      Report this comment

      oldguy49  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:13am

      Spot on.

      Report this comment

      Walkabout  
  • tozzo
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 8:57am

    So?

    Report this comment

    tozzo  
  • SREGN
    Posted on January 28, 2013 at 8:56am

    A nation of government-controlled drones. And they don’t even know how to cook their fish.

    Report this comment

    SREGN  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:26am

      Apparently they have a problem making children, growing an economy & have socialized medicine.

      Socialism meets crony capitalism meets the death of a people/nation.

      Report this comment

      Walkabout  
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