Yes, guns are legal in Japan, but ownership is extremely restricted and heavily regulated under the Firearms and Swords Control Law, with licenses only granted for specific purposes like hunting or sport shooting after rigorous training, background checks, and ongoing police inspections, making civilian gun ownership rare and resulting in very low gun crime rates. Handguns are effectively banned for civilians, and even shotguns and rifles face immense hurdles, requiring separate storage and yearly checks.
Gun Possession and Gun Crime: Almost Nil. The only type of firearm which a Japanese citizen may even contemplate acquiring is a shotgun. [5] Sportsmen are permitted to possess shotguns for hunting and for skeet and trap (p. 27)shooting, but only after submitting to a lengthy licensing procedure.
First on our list is the United States—a country where guns are deeply woven into its history and identity. The Second Amendment guarantees citizens' rights to bear arms, leading many states like Texas to adopt permissive laws regarding open carry and concealed weapons.
After World War II, the Japanese military was disarmed, which led to the Japanese government eventually enacting the Swords and Firearms Possession Control Law in 1958 to prevent gang fights involving guns and swords.
Other than the police and the military, no one in Japan may purchase a handgun or a rifle. Hunters and target shooters may possess shotguns and airguns under strictly circumscribed conditions. The police check gun licensees' ammunition inventory to make sure there are no shells or pellets unaccounted for.
Japan is a country of more than 127 million people, but it rarely sees more than 10 gun deaths a year. Culture is one reason for the low rate, but gun control is a major one, too. Japan has a long list of tests that applicants must pass before gaining access to a small pool of guns.
1. United States — The Gun Capital of the World. With over 393 million firearms owned by civilians, more than its population, the US tops the list by a massive margin. Gun rights are enshrined in the Second Amendment, and ownership ranges from hunting rifles to military-grade semi-automatics.
#1 New Hampshire. New Hampshire is a Constitutional Carry state with incredibly relaxed gun laws and low crime rates. Any citizen over 18 years old who is lawfully permitted to possess a firearm can open and concealed carry. New Hampshire residents can travel to 29 other states with a pistol and revolver license.
To buy a firearm in France, in line with the European Firearms Directive, a hunting license or a shooting sport license is necessary depending on the type, function and magazine capacity of the weapon.
The Japanese Police are entitled to use reasonably necessary force in effecting an arrest. Police officers are trained in a particular form of martial art called “taiho-jutsu” (arrest technique), designed to disarm criminals using batons and their hands, and, only where strictly necessary, firearms.
In Japan, self-defense is legal — but it comes with strict boundaries. The self-defense law in Japan permits civilians to protect themselves and others from danger, but only when the response is immediate, necessary, and proportionate to the threat.
If you want to buy a gun in Japan you need patience and determination. You have to attend an all-day class, take a written exam and pass a shooting-range test with a mark of at least 95%. There are also mental health and drugs tests. Your criminal record is checked and police look for links to extremist groups.
Only if you purchase a weapon, you must send the sales contract to your cantonal weapons office within 30 days. If you are a foreign national without a settlement permit, you require a weapons acquisition permit for all types of weapon and their essential components (e.g. the barrel or casing).
Gun collectors may not fire their firearms without explicit permission from the police. Rifle and shotgun licenses can be issued to persons 18 years or older with a clean criminal record. The applicant for the licenses must document a need for the weapon, usually hunting or sports shooting.
Second Amendment. A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Nearly a million of Australia's 27 million population has a licence, owning more than 4 million legal guns, according to think tank The Australia Institute, more than when the 1996 laws took effect .
California led the way in gun safety in the United States as of January 2025, with a composite score of 90.5 based on the presence of 50 key gun safety policies.
Rates of Gun Ownership by State
Wyoming has the highest rate of gun ownership, with an estimated 66 firearms per 100 residents. Massachusetts and New Jersey share the lowest rate at 14.7 firearms for every 100 residents. The state-level ownership may be lower due to data restraints.
The United States leads by a wide margin, with more guns than people, averaging over 120 guns per 100 residents. Other high-ownership nations include Canada, Finland, Norway, and Switzerland, where firearm culture is often tied to hunting and national defense.
The Top 10 Most Powerful Countries in the World (2023 US News): According to the 2023 survey, the United States is the world's most powerful country.
Finland is a country of hunters and gun enthusiasts. There are approximately 460,000 licence holders and slightly under 1.5 million licensed firearms in Finland.
The Japanese 80% rule, known as "Hara Hachi Bu", is a Confucian principle advising people to stop eating when they feel about 80% full, not completely stuffed, to support health and longevity. This practice encourages mindful eating, helps prevent overeating, and is linked to lower rates of illness and longer lifespans, particularly observed in Okinawan centenarians. It involves slowing down during meals, listening to your body's fullness cues, and appreciating food as fuel rather than indulging to the point of discomfort.
The majority of crimes recorded in Japan are theft offenses. Among violent crimes, the most reported offenses are assaults and bodily injuries, followed by rapes and homicides. Approximately 24.3 assault cases and 0.7 murder offenses were recorded per 100,000 Japanese inhabitants in 2023.
Under Japanese law, persons suspected of a crime can be detained for 23 days without charge. The length of detention, up to the maximum period, is at the discretion of the public prosecutor and subject to the approval of local courts.
Gun ownership is high in Switzerland.