While a Texas community is reeling in the aftermath of the worst mass shooting in the state’s history, U.S. President Donald Trump is across the world monitoring the situation from Japan — a country known for its strict gun control laws.
On Sunday, a gunman dressed in black tactical-style gear and armed with an assault rifle opened fire inside a small south Texas church, killing 26 people and wounding dozens of others. The age of the victims ranged from 18 months to 77.
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While in Japan, Trump said the mass shooting was not because of a “guns situation,” but instead was due to issues of mental health.
In 2017, there have been 378 mass shootings in the U.S., according to Mass Shooting Tracker, which defines amass shooting as an incident in which at least four people were shot.
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While the U.S. is dealing with the aftermath of yet another deadly shooting, Japan, a country of 127 million people, remains one of the safest countries in the world in terms of gun-related incidents. But why?
Very difficult to get a gun in Japan
Japan has one of the lowest rates of gun crime in the world. In 2014 there were just six gun deaths, compared to 33,599 in the U.S.
According to the 2007 Small Arms Survey, there are 0.6 firearms for every 100 people in Japan. In Canada, there are 30.8 firearms for every 100 people, and in the U.S. it is 88.8 firearms for every 100 people.
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Japan’s laws make it extremely difficult to own any kind of gun (you can’t own a handgun). The only guns Japanese citizens can legally buy and use are shotguns and air rifles, and even then the rules are strict.
Here are some of the rigorous steps involved, according to a study on Japanese gun control.
- Attend an all-day class and pass a written test.
- Take and pass a shooting range class.
- Take a mental health test and a drug test.
- Provide the results of those tests to police.
- Pass a rigorous background check for any criminal record.
- Once you get the gun, provide police with documentation on where the gun is located in your home.
- Ammunition must be kept in a separate locked safe.
- Police will inspect your gun once per year.
- You have to re-take the class and exam every three years.
Japan’s low gun crime rate may also have to do with the country’s history with the weapons.
“Ever since guns entered the country, Japan has always had strict gun laws,” Iain Overton, executive director of Action on Armed Violence told BBC News.
“They are the first nation to impose gun laws in the whole world and I think it laid down a bedrock saying that guns really don’t play a part in civilian society.”
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Japanese law was amended with an act in 1958 stating that “No person shall possess a firearm or firearms or a sword or swords,” later adding a few exceptions.
Compare this to the U.S., where the second amendment has been interpreted as giving everyone the right to bear arms.
This does not mean Japan is immune to mass killings. In July 2016, a man with a knife attacked a facility for people with disabilities just outside of Tokyo. Nineteen people were killed and 20 others wounded. It was the worst mass killing in Japan in generations.
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