Author: Yuri Kageyama
Associated Press
TOKYO (AP) — The July 8 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in broad daylight shocked a world that has associated Japan with relatively low crime rates and strict gun control .
Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, was shot in the back while campaigning for a parliamentary candidate in the city of Nara. He died in hospital two days before the election.
The suspects apparently circumvented the country’s ultra-strict gun rules by making their own weapons. Police said the 15-inch device was apparently homemade, and one expert likened it to a front-loading gun. Authorities confiscated similar weapons during a search of a one-bedroom apartment near the suspect.
Tetsuya Yamagami, the suspect accused of his murder, said he took action because of rumors that Abe was associated with a group he hated, police said. Some Japanese media identified the organization as the Unification Church of South Korea, and reported that the suspect’s mother had donated large sums to the church. They considered the donation and her subsequent bankruptcy as a possible motive.
The Japanese branch of the church acknowledged the suspect’s mother as a member but denied asking for large donations from anyone.
Tomihiro Tanaka, the head of the church, declined to comment on the details of the donation, saying police were investigating. In general terms, he confirmed that some people donated generously, but stressed that no one was coerced.
Tanaka said that while Abe supports his global peace movement, he is not a member.
Deadly gun violence is almost unheard of in Japan, where most Japanese have never been exposed to or even seen an actual gun in their lifetime. Stabbings are more common in killings.
Major universities have rifle clubs and the Japanese police are armed, but gun ownership has been a distant issue for decades. Even police officers rarely fire with handguns.
The country, with a population of 125 million, saw just 10 gun-related criminal cases last year, killing one and injuring four, according to police. Eight of the cases were gang-related.
The densely populated capital Tokyo had zero gun incidents, injuries or deaths in the same year, although 61 guns were seized there.
“The Japanese are in a state of shock,” said Shiro Kawamoto, a professor at the School of Risk Management at Nihon University in Tokyo.
“This is a wake-up call that gun violence is possible in Japan and that security measures to protect Japanese politicians must be re-examined,” Kawamoto said. “It would be a big mistake to assume that this attack will never happen.”
Abe’s security team could face serious problems. But because such attacks are unusual in Japan, relatively low levels of security are the norm, even for the former prime minister.
The last high-profile shooting occurred in 2019, when a former gang member was shot dead at a karaoke venue in Tokyo.
Under Japanese law, it is illegal to own a firearm without a special permit. It is also illegal to import them. The same rules apply to certain kinds of knives and certain other weapons, such as crossbows.
Those wishing to own a firearm must go through rigorous background checks, including a doctor’s clearance, and declare information about family members. They must also pass a test to prove they know how to use the firearm correctly. Anyone who buys a weapon must also buy a special locking system for it.
Passing these barriers will allow permit holders to shoot clay targets. Hunting requires an additional license.
NR Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services, a specialist weapons survey firm, said the weapons used in the attack on Abe were likely “handmade” firearms.
He likened the weapon to a musket with gunpowder and bullets loaded separately.
“Japan’s gun legislation is very strict, so I think what we’re seeing here may be muzzle-loading weapons, not just to circumvent gun control, but Japan’s strict control of ammunition,” he said.
