FWIW, if you look this up, you'll find photographs of the Japanese bear hunters using bolt action rifles. There's a weird belief that there are no privately held firearms in Japan which is simply untrue. You can buy firearms in Japan. There's a process to it, but you can do it.
The process is:
- Join a hunting or shooting club.
- Take a firearm class and pass a written exam.
- Get a doctor’s note saying you are mentally fit and do not have a history of drug abuse.
- Apply for a permit to take firing training.
- Describe in a police interview why you need a gun.
- Pass a review of your criminal history, gun possession record, employment, involvement with organized crime groups, personal debt and relationships with friends, family and neighbors.
- Apply for a gunpowder permit.
- Take a one-day training class and pass a firing test.
- Obtain a certificate from a gun dealer describing the gun you want.
- Buy a gun safe and an ammunition locker that meet safety regulations.
- Allow police to inspect your gun
- Pass an additional background review.
Yes, that's a lot compared to the US, but some of it should seem familiar. While is different, in Wyoming, where obtaining a firearms is easy, if you want to go hunting, you must take a hunter's safety course. Once you do that, you can get hunting licenses, but to purchase a firearm you must still have the background check done in one fashion or another.
Anyhow, yes you can buy a firearm in Japan. In spite of this, you are going to continue to see the "there are no guns" in Japan comments.
