Japan...Guns, ammo held privately must be deposited !!

[SOSARMS]

Just returned yesterday from a trip to Japan, and thought i'd pass along a news article i read in the newspaper.."The Asahi Shimbun" 4-8-08. ( One of the few papers printed in english. )

TIGHTER GUN CONTROL
Guns, ammo held privately must be deposited
Presumably, gun control in Japan hitherto has been too soft on those who own guns for hunting and shooting competitions.
The National Police Agency is now in the process of drawing up revisions to the Swords and Firearms Control Law. It is considering stricter requirements for ownership permits of firearms. The move is in response to a shooting spree last December in which a 37 year old man went on a rampage in a gym in Sesabo, Nagasaki Prefecture, killing two with his shotgun. The authorities were lambasted for having allowed such a person to own a gun.
As many as 320,000 guns for hunting and sporting competitions are legally owned in Japan. Within the five years leading up to 2007, there were 19 cases of murder or attemped murder involving legally owned firearms.
Also fresh in our memory is an incident in which a rifle accidently went off at a doctor's house in Tokyo, killing a 2 year old child.
Control on guns for hunting under the Swords and Firearms Control Law has not undergone drastic change in almost 30years. According to the law, the only disqualifying clauses for gun ownership are drug addiction, lack of a permanent address and a history of having committed felonies using firearms.
The law revisions are aimed at broadening the scope of these disqualification clauses. Past offenders of stalking crimes and domestic violence as well as those who committed heinous offenses without guns will be barred from owning firearms. It goes without saying that such people should never be allowed to own guns.
The NPA is also considering a ban on gun ownership among those who have gone financially bankrupt or are in danger of tasking their own lives.
However, it is not enough just to enforce stronger restrictions. We don't believe that all past crimes using firearms couldhave been prevented if stronger restrictions had been in place at the time.
We think the system should be changed so that guns and ammunition are not controlled by individuals, but stored in specific locations except for those occasions when they are to be used. If a firearm is not in constant proximity, it would be difficult touse it rashly in a fit of rage.
The NPA did consider this idea, but shelved it on grounds it is too difficult to implement at this stage. This is because existing gun depositories can store only 30,000 guns.
Yet, public anxiety about guns must be dealt with. If nothing else, the NPA should consider storing at least ammunition, by delegating the responsibility to local hunting and shooting societies. The government, meanwhile, should increase the number of depositories where guns can be securely stored. Eventually, the government should make it mandatory to have all guns and ammunition stored in depositories.
After the Sasebo shooting, more than 5000 people throughout the country returned their gun ownership permits voluntarily. In some cases, the police persuaded registered owners to return their permits, citing reasons such as "problems with neighbor" or " advanced age" . A systematic structure is necessary to catch the warning signs of someone likely to commit a crime, and revoking gun permits even after they have been issued.
Illegal guns owned by criminal organizations should, of course, re rigorously tracked down; but one wrong step and legal guns can also become lethal murder weapons.
We must not forget how frightening that is, and nip the danger in the bud.

Credit ...The Asahi Shimbun, April 6, 2008

[FireMax]

That's how the Socialists do it. It's for "your own benefit" that we take your guns.

[Shorts]

According to the law, the only disqualifying clauses for gun ownership are drug addiction, lack of a permanent address and a history of having committed felonies using firearms.

That's a lie - there are more disqualifiers they don't talk about. Where's the mention of the course you must pass? Where's the mention of the final say-so depends on the policeman that get your appl and whether he feels like saying yes or no. At current, guns must be stored empty, locked away and secured. Ammo must be put separately, lock away and secured. There is a record of all ammo purchases also kept by Big Brother.


This article here is written pretty light compared to the reality. But I do agree that rules are strict. Here's another JPN article to sink your teeth into:

http://www.davekopel.com/2A/Foreign/...le-Control.htm

[Wildalaska]

And the point of this thread is, and the relevance therof?

That's how the Socialists do it. It's for "your own benefit" that we take your guns.

O never mind, it's designed for screeching. Carry on.

WildbeforeidieimgoingtohuntdeerinjapanAlaska ™

[Shorts]

WildAlaska, why do you come to the L/P board just complain about the complainers? You know what's here, why cause yourself heartache?

Call me when you land at Narita. You can 1) take the Narita express train to Tokyo to catch the shinkansen Hayate to Hach then take the limited express or 2) from Narita take the bus to Haneda to catch the domestic airline north here to Misawa - you'll have a place to stay.

The point of this thread and any other here on L/P board is to inform people of what's going on in the legal and political arena pertaining to firearms. We can all remain ignorant or share the info at hand. Do you know how many registered users and guest read these post? Could be a fair many. Could be a few. Point is to get the information out there.

[Curtis(USAF)]

Sounds to me like the Japanese press is about as good at "Fact checking" as the American press is. Now I'm curious, what kinds of critters do they hunt in Japan? If I ever make the big bucks, I'd like to go hunting abroad, Japan sounds like a beautiful place.

[Shorts]

Based on what Ive seen - nothing Apparently there are deer but I've yet to see one. Some ducks/fowl, rabbits, coyote/dogs. Bears do roam the mountains, we see warning signs for them when we go out. We haven't ever scared anything out on the mountain roads with the bikes or the truck.

For the most part, hunting is a snooze-fest compared to other countries. I'll eat my words should I ever collide with an animal on my bike.

As far as the fact checking goes - the press will only report what is kosher with authorities. Heck, we're pretty sure all the rental houses for us Americans are bugged lol

[Wildalaska]

WildAlaska, why do you come to the L/P board just complain about the complainers? You know what's here, why cause yourself heartache?

To ensure that my job is preserved. being in the biz, any gun control affects my pocket. Silliness on gun boards may come back to haunt us all.

Besides the pride involved in being "normal"

Call me when you land at Narita. You can 1) take the Narita express train to Tokyo to catch the shinkansen Hayate to Hach then take the limited express or 2) from Narita take the bus to Haneda to catch the domestic airline north here to Misawa - you'll have a place to stay.

Thanks, but I wouldnt want SWMBOs sister to be insulted so I have to put up with the chainsmoking and jabber.

WilddomoarigatoAlaska

[Shorts]