No guns at home, so Japanese shoot 'em up in Guam

you're right, they just use knifes instead...

Oh, look, ear protection! Who would have thought? (Referring to previous article)

I have no problem with range shooting. I have no problem with hunting (depending on the circumstances).

I do have a problem with private arsenals for "home defense". I won't go into be details, you know what I mean.

Owning guns is not only for the purpose of own property defense but I think also gives Americans as a whole society peace of mind that the government will not threaten their freedom. Unlawful potential intruders will think twice before entering property if they expecting guns are being stored inside.

cute girl - hope this was a staged shot since here ears will ring without the muffs. believe me - shooting without muffs will hurt. had to do that in my job once- very glad the situation came up only once.

yes so very glad no one dies in Japan except by natural causes and that we in the US are the only ones in the world that have people dying by any other means- my apologies- i am getting a bit hurt from the constant chiding from afar......

Shame on you. This is not the time for an article on cultural tourism about guns.

Obviously the writer was going to do it anyway, so he stuck a line or two to refer to the tragedy.

There is something onanistic about this and equally so about much gun ownership in the US. I grew with guns, was always careful with them and never felt they were part of my masculinity or my sense of power. I was concerned about safety to think of that. I gave up guns years ago. The only time I have ever felt any sense of power was when I won stuffed animals for my wife in arcades, having outwitted whoever invariably skewered the sights.

I am glad that the gun nuts in Japan just have models to play with and can go to Guam to shoot real guns. One of the best things about living in Japan is the absence of a Second Amendment.

About which. The Second Amendment was not about overthrowing the US government but protecting civil society for attackers with a "well regulated militia."

"you're right, they just use knifes instead..."

Japan has about half the U.S. population. Half of America's gun murders per year would be 5,500. Subtract the 7 Japanese gun murders mentioned in the article...you get 5,493. No, there were not that many knife murders in Japan.

You might say that part of the reason is because the Japanese are not as violent as Americans. I don't deny that. But if Japanese were as armed to the teeth as Americans, with guns in god knows how many of your neighbor's houses, yeah, I could see Japanese becoming as paranoid and murderous as Americans in a short time.

But I don't have a problem with shooting ranges. Or even well regulated militias. I have a problem with any fool being able to own a firearm, or two. Or ten.

'It's such a feeling of power'. Feeling a little inadequate are we?

I am totally against wearing or having weapons at home. But I like practicing it in shooting ranges. And this has much more to do with relaxing and self-control than any king of feeling of power.

One of my Korean relatives got here Utah) and a trip to the range was a treat. Next trip, he'll be ready for more. Pretty good shot, too. Thanks for the word; I'll have to put Guam on my "go to" list. Last time for me was flight training with a local flying club. Come to think of it, flying could be the next thing for visitors from Japan. Remember, Guam is Great!

I'm planning a trip to the west of the US with my family, and hope to take them to a nice shooting range there. Shooting is a thrill, plain and simple. I think it is something that should be taught in schools, both for the safety aspect and to get kids to respect the power that firearms have. Not in Japan perhaps since the culture is different, but definitely in North America/Europe.

As to the argument about guns and safety, all I can say is look at the crime rates in similar countries, such as the US and the UK. The US leads in murder, but the UK in every other conceivable category of violent crime- rape, armed robbery, home invasion, assault. The overall violent crime rate is more than double that of the US.

Americans by and large aren't murderous. They live in a far safer society than other English speaking nations. As long as you stay away from the drug trade and other similar nefarious activity, the chance of being a crime/murder victim is really quite small.

@praack, of course it's a staged shot, do you really think the photographer is going to be standing there while she is shooting?

The Article makes note of the fact that the only people in Japan whom have guns are in the military,in the police departments, or in the Mob............This is the exact reason we wish to maintain our right to own firearms in the US.we know that we can protect ourselves from any of the above should the need arise. Americans,for the most part, are independent thinking people that are willing to defend ourselves from criminals and even our government should the need arise. The Japanese have accepted the implementation of Marshal law before and, without the means to resist, will one day accept totalitarian rule again if their governing leaders decide the populace needs to be controlled for what ever reason....VIVA AMERICA, Land of the free individual...and a few other endangered species.

It is not uncommon in the rural areas of the USA to stand on the front porch and shoot weapons. Of course there are no neighbors close enough to damage. Everything from shooting skeet or clay pigeons to semi automatic rifles are legal and a relaxing pleasure to experience. Conscientious weapons owners keep the weapons in a fire-proof gun safe about one meter wide, 1 meter deep, and 1.5 meter tall.

As I noted in an earlier post about this topic, if visiting the USA and hoping to try out shooting at a local gun range, please first consider the legal implications of doing so.

It is a Federal offense and a felony for non-resident aliens to "possess" a firearm or ammunition without a US issued hunting license - this includes rentals at gun ranges; possession means in your hands. If you are a US citizen, have a "Green Card" (resident alien), or have a hunting license issued in the USA, you can rent, shoot, and in some cases even purchase, otherwise it is illegal.

Many gun ranges are ignorant of this law, so they may not tell you, or may provide you with incorrect information, but queries to the ATF have confirmed this time and again. A friend of mine who is a competitive shooter has seen many tourists turned away at a local range for this exact reason.

If while visiting, an American citizen friend or acquaintance suggests it and offers to take you shooting, the risk is the same - even on their own property; the ATF does not distinguish. What's the chance you'd be arrested for this? Low. Many ranges will still rent to you. I'm just saying... be aware.

Whoever wrote this article has no clue about anything gun related and whoever took that photo is an idiot. The gun may not have been loaded, but you never get in front of the business end, especially with someone's finger on the trigger.

I've taken over 30 Japanese exchange students to the range in the past 2 years. The first thing they were taught was how to properly handle the firearms and to never remove their ear or eye protection when in the box.

Their well-equipped arsenals offer everything from tiny revolvers (for ladies) to Berettas, Glocks, semi-automatic pistols and M16 military assault rifles. If kids can see over the counter, they are welcome too.

Cool buzzwords bro. You won't find any pistols that aren't semi-automatic as a rental in a gun range. I also highly doubt there are military issue M16s in there. AR15 perhaps...get your nomenclature right.

This article is trying to stigmatize gun ownership as usual. Guns don't kill people, a lack of a cohesive culture and history kill people. That is America's problem, which is something we can't solve.

I'm all for more gun license laws, such as background checks, mental health records, training, etc, but banning the sale of certain guns or magazines is just ridiculous. The old adage about "if guns are outlawed then only outlaws will have guns" rings true.

Yeah, gun violence is very low in Japan, almost nonexistent, however knife violence is up, friut knives seem to be the weapon of choice. Many Americans like myself to are fasicinated and frightened by Japan's knife violence. Its very interesting how such a peaceful and passive culture could yet be so violent.