Crime: A Tale of Two Guns (Literally)

American gun control policies are the least developed in the world. In a country of school shootings and movie theater brutality, it is easy to assume every other country has the same crippling issues deterring their development. However, not every country is like America. Because of Japanese cultural influences and laws, Japan is one of the most crime-free countries in the world. Japanese culture suggests that everyone should love their neighbor (something that is taught in America, but not enforced). 

Japan’s crime rate is extremely low. According to japantimes.co.jp, “Recently released figures from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development showed that only 1.4 percent of people in Japan had been victims of assault compared with the OECD average of 4.0 percent for annual assault and mugging rates.” Japan has also recently been ranked the safest country in the WORLD, with the second lowest homicide rate after Iceland and the second lowest assault rate after Canada.

A lot of young children travel alone on the subway daily unaccompanied by a parent or guardian, but nobody is tempted… Astonishingly, Japanese culture has beliefs that individuals should do things that directly affect the good of the whole and not that individual.

WHY IS THE CRIME RATE SO LOW?

Well, partly because of Japan’s gun control policies. Besides the police and the military, the only group that is allowed to have guns is hunters. This makes for an easily check able system for police to monitor the sale and re-sale of guns and other weapons. These rules ensure that virtually no one in Japan possesses a gun! It is virtually a gun free society.

For those who are wondering why America can’t implement some of Japan’s policies towards gun control, it isn't as easy as it sounds. Americans have much more guns than the Japanese ever did and (unlike the Japanese) Americans seem determined to keep their weapons.

BUT WHAT ABOUT ILLEGAL IMPORTS?

It doesn't take a genius to see that Japan is in fact an island. So, it is easy for the Japanese to seal their borders against illegal gun imports.

It’s so amazing to think that in a country with so many people and so many busy cities and sites that the crime rate is so low because people are thinking. Imagine what the United States would be like if starting today everyone did something for the country, rather than just themselves.