Japan has almost completely eliminated gun deaths — here's how

Every time there is a shooting in the US, gun control discussions come up. An 18-year-old shot and killed 21 people, including 19 children, at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday.

How does the US prevent this from happening over and over again?

Although the US has no exact counterpart in the world, some countries have taken steps that can give a glimpse into what successful gun control looks like. Japan, a country of 127 million people and 10 gun deaths a year, is one such country.

Since guns entered the country, Japan has always had strict gun laws.

Japan is a country with regulations upon regulations

Japan's success in controlling gun deaths is related to its history. pacifism emerged as a dominant philosophy after World War II. American troops made firearms for the sake of security in 1946, and police started carrying them. No person shall possess a firearm or firearms or a sword or swords, as of 1958, according to Japanese law.

The fact that Japan enacted gun control from the stance of prohibition is important. One of the main factors that separates Japan from the US is the Second Amendment, which allows people to own guns.

If a Japanese person wants to own a gun, they must attend an all-day class, pass a written test, and achieve at least 85% accuracy on a shooting-range test. They have to pass a mental-health evaluation, which takes place at a hospital, and pass a background check, in which the government digs into their criminal record and interviews friends and family. They can't buy handguns or air rifles and have to take 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611

Toru Hanai/Reuters

Japan has also embraced the idea that fewer guns in circulation will result in fewer deaths. Each prefecture — which ranges in size from half a million people to 12 million, in Tokyo — can operate a maximum of three gun shops; new magazines can only be purchased by trading in empty ones; and when gun owners die, their relatives must surrender the deceased member's firearms.

The role of trust can't be overstated

The result is a situation where police and citizens rarely use guns.

Most encounters with suspects involve some combination of martial arts or striking weapons, and off-duty police aren't allowed to carry firearms. When Japanese attacks turn deadly, they usually involve fatal stabbings. An attacker killed 19 people in an assisted living facility. In an entire year, Japan rarely sees so many deaths from guns.

Gun control in Japan has led to a better relationship between civilians and the police than in the US. It is something of a chicken-egg problem, that the police choose to use sub-lethal force on people, without fear of being shot. People feel less of a need to arm themselves.

Automatic weapons and armored cars are used by the US police force. There is less trust between people and institutions. The factors combine to make a culture that can seem to be on-edge.

It would be difficult for Japan to sell its approach in the face of American gun culture, but it can provide a starting point for reining in the violence that has become a hallmark of life in the US.