Japanese Police Are Armed, But Barely Shoot

Yo gamers! Today we‘re going deep on whether Japanese police carry guns. You may be surprised to learn that while cops in Japan are packing heat, they hardly ever fire their weapons. Kon‘nichiwa let‘s jump into it!

That‘s right – your average Japanese cop rides around with a revolver on their hip every day. Specifically the "New Nambu" Model 60 named after the OG weapons designer Kijirō Nambu. It packs a punch with .38 Special ammo.

But they almost NEVER open fire compared to American police. Like no joke – one year the whole country‘s police only shot their guns a half-dozen times! Here‘s a breakdown of what weapons they use and when you‘ll see them drawn.

Standard Sidearms

The standard police handgun is the New Nambu M60 revolver as we covered. But officers assigned to Special Assault Teams or SAT (think SWAT) get upgraded weapons:

• SAT officers usually carry Smith & Wesson M37/M60 .38 caliber revolvers instead
• Many also equip SIG Sauer P220R DAO (Double Action Only) .45 ACP pistols
  *Specialized Firearms Squads get submachine guns like the Minebea P-9 too

That‘s in addition to the Remington shotguns and rifles used for lethal encounters or hostage scenarios.

Don‘t forget – Japanese detectives love to slap on leather shoulder rigs straight out of classic cop movies too!

By The Numbers

Let‘s see some stats on police opening fire over there:

Crazy right? Like single digits for the whole country in multiple years! America topped 1,000 deadly police shootings multiple times in the same period.

Talk about trigger discipline…the Japanese cops absolutely NAIL it!

And you thought AMERICAN gun control regulations were tough…Japan takes things to the next level:

• Only shotguns and air rifles allowed for extremely narrow use cases
• Attend an all-day lecture and pass written + shooting range tests first
• Cops audit your ammunition inventory randomly
• 10+ years in prison for unauthorized possession easily

So yeah – basically no civilian handguns or anything viable for self defense. Hunters or sport shooters only with tons of oversight!

Thus cops worry far less about armed encounters compared to America‘s free-for-all gun culture leading to quick trigger fingers.

• China – No citizen firearms outside of designated hunting regions
• Britain – Bobbies usually unarmed, but SOC/SFO special armed units deployed for threats
• Norway – Police carry guns but rarely draw weapons compared to the US
• New Zealand – Scrapped all general arming programs in 1990s outside of emergencies
• Ireland – Unarmed police force first established in 1920s after war for independence

So Japan isn‘t the ONLY country to promote extreme restraint. But their stats stick out as exceptional even compared to similar societies.

While Japan prides itself on order you‘ll still see whacky weapons charges for:

• Chikan (Perverts) – Brandishing box cutters or scissors on crowded trains
• Yakuza Gangs – Collecting illegal foreign or antique firearms from overseas
• Right Wing Extremists – Hoarding homemade explosives and weapons

In Yakuza 6 for example Kiryu had to constantly frisk thugs for pistols and knives!

So gun crime still happens but just barely compared to the United States. Some gamers argue that if civilians had easier access to guns for self defense maybe rates would drop lower. But with only ~10 gun deaths per year in Japan that‘s already hard to beat!

While cops carry Six Shooter revolvers daily they RARELY draw or fire them on duty. Without many threats from armed criminals they can keep the utmost trigger discipline.

America on the other hand sees threats all over prompting cops to blast first and ask questions later. They discharge weapons more times PER WEEK than Japanese police do in whole years!

But even Japan has to keep SAT special forces locked and loaded 24/7 just in case. After all Yakuza assassins and Right Wing Extremists lurk ready for action too!

So what do you think? Does arming police reduce or encourage violent encounters? And should Japan consider expanding civilian gun rights in your opinion? Let me know in the comments section below! Consider smashing that Like button and subscribing if you want more quirky Japanese weapons analysis!