- 14 Mar 2002
- 15,972
- 9,211
- 749
This is an interesting piece on gun ownership in Japan from a practitioner's view. While handguns are prohibited in Japan, acquiring hunting rifles and shotguns is possible, although the procedure is quite tricky and lengthy. There is a severe shortage of hunters to control wildlife.
Japan doesn't allow individuals to own firearms for other than hunting or target shooting, and there are no "sleeping guns," Neuville said, meaning that police will confiscate a gun if the owner doesn't use it for several years.
Requirements:
- the purpose is either target practice or hunting
- one-day class in firearm handling and safety followed by a test
- psychological evaluation and background check that goes back 10 years
- shooting trial at a trap range
- gun and ammunition lockers, which must be anchored to walls in separate rooms; will be checked by the police.
A gun license in Japan expires after three years on the holder's birthday; renewal begins prior to the expiration date with an advance course in shooting. "For hunting, there is a one-day class you have to attend in person through the Yamaguchi Forestry Office that is held once a year in November," Neuville said. "And Japan really needs hunters."
Gun ownership, an American tradition, has its own spin in Japan
Gun ownership is tightly controlled in Japan, but it’s possible for hunters and target shooters with the U.S. military to own a firearm after a lengthy, expensive process.
www.stripes.com