Everyone likes to tout how safe Japan is because of its Firearms and Swords Control Law. Enacted in 1958 and then strengthened in 1993, 1995, and 2008, under this nationwide legislation, civilians cannot possess firearms or swords for safety or security purposes, period.
Since violent crime is relatively low in Japan, gun controllers and other aspiring tyrants suggest the rest of the world should mimic these severe infringements and impose tighter government controls on the possession of firearms and swords.
While Japan does indeed enjoy low incidents of violent crime, those in the know understand there are much deeper cultural characteristics underpinning Japan’s crime rate. There is no way mere legislation can replicate Japan’s social cohesion and discipline forged over centuries of warrior leadership.
Even Japanese academics are raising the nonsense flag. Researcher Tamara Enomoto of Meiji University dispels the narrative of strict weapon controls equates to a safe Japan.
She writes, “Guns and other weapons were never given up, in fact, people from all social strata possessed them…this generates a fundamentally different research question, that is, why private violence was restrained despite the widespread availability of weapons in society”.
http://www.kisc.meiji.ac.jp/~transfer/paper/pdf/06/04_Enomoto.pdf
Even with strong social fabric, deadly attacks happen in Japan all the time. The latest tragedy occurred at a bus stop in a sleepy suburb south of Tokyo when a 51-year-old recluse started hacking and slashing at some elementary school children with a knife in each hand.
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005774147
The result: 17 severely injured and two dead, including an 11 year old girl and a 39 year old diplomat with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who was waiting at the bus stop with his daughter.
A bus driver yelled at the attacker who in turn walked away and stabbed himself in the neck. The whole thing was over in less than a minute.
So much for the low crime rates in “safe” Japan. Statistics are irrelevant when it is YOU facing a deranged killer.
Politicians and bureaucrats want to set general policies for all of society and, in so doing, discount your particular needs and safety requirements.
What all this means is that whatever legislation politicians generate means nothing for your safety and security. At best, whatever protection governments provide can only be supplemental to what individuals do for their own safety.
That’s right, your security is your responsibility. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise (they usually have ulterior motives anyway). It doesn’t matter what legislation gets passed restricting access to weapons, criminals and psychopaths will find something to increase their lethality.
Most attacks are sudden. Chances are you will not see it coming and, since there’s little governments can do to stop someone from taking a knife from the kitchen, weapons will likely be involved.
As Sun Tzu rightly pointed out, “Do not depend on the enemy not coming, but depend on your readiness against him. Do not depend on the enemy not attacking, but depend on a posture of invulnerability” (The Art of War, 8:10).
This means training for real world attacks to such degree that your responses are instantaneous. When seconds count, you cannot hesitate.
Learn the techniques, tactics, and mindset to prevail in a world where deadly attacks can occur anywhere and at any time.
Find out more, here: www.everydaysamurai.life/realdefense
To your safety and success!
Ken Yamarashi
P.S.: There’s a big difference between “martial arts” and surviving deadly attacks. Whether you’re involving in regular martial art training or a couch potato that’s just woken up you need to check out this program designed to keep you safe in the real world:
