Japan. Under the Swords and Firearms Control Law, import, carrying, purchase and use of stun guns or tasers is currently completely prohibited in Japan.
25 Article 76(1) of the Self-Defense Force Law provides: The Prime Minister may order the SDF to move in the case of an occur- rence of an armed attack from the outside when he or she decides that it is necessary for the defense of Japan. Jieitai ho (Self-Defense Force Law), art. 76(l), Law No. 165 of 1954.
To do so would result in arrest if caught. The fact that you are carrying a “tool” as a weapon - even in self-defence - is a crime. It's even potentially problematic to be carrying a genuine tool, such as an axe or something like that, in the back of your car, etc.
Mace and pepper spray are illegal in Japan.
Carrying, or even owning, pepper spray - whether for self-defence or not - is illegal in the majority of Australia. The exception to this is Western Australia, however it isn't a free-for-all type situation.
Pepper spray is illegal in most of Australia, including NSW. Schedule 1 of the Weapons Prohibition Act 1998 lists all items classified as prohibited weapons. This includes "any device designed or intended as a defence or anti-personnel spray and that is capable of discharging any irritant matter".
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.
Carrying a knife with a locking blade, or a folding blade longer than 5.5 cm (around two inches), is illegal in Japan. The same goes for swords, which are also illegal to carry in Japan without a special permit. If you wish to purchase a sword in Japan, consult with the shop to arrange shipment to your home country.
In modern times the most commonly known type of Japanese sword is the Shinogi-Zukuri katana, which is a single-edged and usually curved longsword traditionally worn by samurai from the 15th century onwards.
Punishments can be up to 10,000 USD in fines and up to five years in prison. Possession of a gun or ammunition is a crime in Japan. Possession of a knife with a locking blade, or a folding blade that is longer than 5.5 cm (a little more than two inches), is illegal in Japan.
Pocket blades on the other hand, including Swiss Army knives etc. are legal to carry around as long as the blade is shorter than 6 cm. Anything longer and you will need the same kind of permission from the prefectural public safety commission…
What items cannot be brought on board the aircraft? Any item that is prohibited by the Civil Aeronautics Act from being transported, or any kitchen knives, box cutters, or other such items that could be used in a hijacking cannot be brought on board the aircraft. Please place these items in your checked baggage.
Under Section 248 (3) of the Code, excessive self defence is legally a partial defence against a murder charge. It is only excessive self defence in the case that the defendant had to protect themself but initiated an unreasonable response.
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution prohibits Japan from establishing a military or solving international conflicts through violence. However, there has been widespread public debate since 2000 about the possibility of reducing or deleting Article 9 from the constitution.
Japan: There are no laws against possession or use, but using it could result in imprisonment, depending on the damage caused to the target.
Today, katana are considered illegal in Japan unless they are certified as "important cultural properties" or "art objects." These swords are allowed to be owned and displayed, but they cannot be carried in public or used as weapons.
Swords that are not produced by licensed smiths (including all machine-made swords) are prohibited for individuals. Japanese military swords are legal in Japan if they were made with traditional materials and methods, as swords produced by such methods are not seen only as weapons but also as works of art.
Passport/Carrying Identification
Make sure you carry your passport at all times during your trip to Japan. It is a legal requirement and local police may ask to check your identification. Your passport should be valid for the duration of your stay.
Owning and using a firearm is limited in Australia to people who have a genuine reason and self-protection does not constitute a genuine reason to possess, own or use a firearm. Secondly, the Australian system requires both the licensing of individual shooters and the registration of each firearm.
Based upon various metrics alongside calculations over the course of multiple years, Singapore has the lowest firearm-related death rate in the world, and Venezuela has the highest.
GUN LAWS IN JAPAN
Japan has the most stringent gun laws. Other than the police and military, nobody can keep lethal arms in Japan. Civilians cannot buy a handgun or a rifle. Only air guns are allowed, that too for a specific purpose.
Other than body armour vests, weapons are illegal to carry or use for self-defence purposes in Australia generally.
You'll often find these at wharves in Australia. They can be viewed as an offensive weapon, so an aggravating factor in an assault (which is probably where the misunderstanding comes from), but the knot itself is perfectly legal and used by sailors as the weighted end of a heaving line.
In WA, pepper spray falls under the Western Australian Weapons Act 1999 as a “controlled weapon”. This permits a person to carry it for lawful defence if they have reasonable grounds for suspicion or belief they will need pepper spray to defend themselves.