The carnage could also have been mitigated (although to a lesser degree perhaps) if someone else also had a hunting knife or, better yet, a taser, or if the police were more willing to use lethal force. (What exactly does it take for a Japanese cop to unload his weapon in the course of duty?)

As much as I lean somewhat towards gun rights in the U.S., I’d be loath to lift restrictions against guns in Japan where gun ownership and gun importation are still highly restricted and gun-related crimes are relatively rare. In other words, the adoption of gun rights in Japan would be an ill-advised solution to a non-problem (so far).

’solve violence with violence’ ryo and edward?? Bit disappointed to say the least. Hope that doesn’t blow over from the states heh. But I do feel a little sympathy with ya’s about tearing the knifer a new one.

“I think only Americans think that more guns can stop violence.”

Don’t forget Swiss, Israelis, peasants in Colombia, teachers in southern Thailand…

This “violence doesn’t stop violence” nonsense is just pacifistic fear-mongering from people in emasculated nations like the U.K. It’s no wonder self-defense is practically illegal there. Besides, most people who go on rampages with guns don’t even manage to kill seven people. How many of you have actually used a gun? They’re not the magic killing machines you seem to think they are.

Perhaps you people should do some reading on the subject. Start here: http://www.guncite.com/

As for Japan, I’d love to see its gun laws liberalized, and I’d be working toward it if my Japanese wasn’t so poor. Perhaps they’ll be more receptive when they find out that it’s not the end of the world when people can legally own and carry weapons.

Let me be clear about my position. Some kinds of violence are bad and some are good (or at least, not so bad). The good kinds are those employed for the defense of life, limb, and property (but mainly life and limb). This is not a matter of giving someone the sort of punishment he or she deserves but a simple matter of exercising a god-given right - indeed, performing a natural duty - to fight for yourself and your fellow man in the face of imminent danger.

The idea of liberalising guns should rightly be assessed with deep reservations in a country where a gun culture has yet to take hold to any significant degree. That said, more people should carry around tasers for self-protection and the police should be far more willing to pull the trigger. (I believe the perpetrator in this case managed to injure a police officer. How was that allowed to happen?)

“…Japanese people don’t expect any violence in public much less something so random.”

Really? The same day the attack in Akihabara occured, a man randomly stabbed a 13 year old school girl in Nagoya. Last week or so, a man was annoyed by some elementary school students, so he did a U-turn in his car and tried to run them all down. Last month, in my neighbor hood a man was randomly attacking woman with a knife, and he finally killed one. All of the happened in public, in broad daylight.

Any Japanese who are paying attention are aware of this.

Regarding violent crime, the police are useless at best, complicit at worst.

If you are so concerned with what the Japanese in Japan think about this, then learn Japanese. You won’t get that information hanging around a mainly Western, English speaking expat blog.

Excuse me for being a bit blunt, but it seems that this type of thing needs to be said ever so often. . .

JAPUNDIT is what it is. If you don’t like what you see here or if you do not see what you want here, you are free to go elsewhere to find it. If you want to influence the content of these pages, please either volunteer to contribute or contact me so I can give you my bank account number.

Carping about content will not do the trick, and actually is regarded as being off topic.

Violent crimes in Japan, despite the isolated incidents by crazies, are really low. The incidents of random violence make major news in Japan, as it’s quite unexpected. In America, an attack like this would probably not make international news.

Americans (I’m an American myself, by the way) often have this cowboy shoot ‘em up image of guns. They all think that some nut will walk into a saloon and get ready to shoot but will be taken out by the hero.

This is a scenario that could happen, but it’s terribly unlikely. You would have to assume A) someone had a gun in the crowd just randomly B) this person was a better (or at least faster) shot than the attacker C) the attacker didn’t notice the person pull their gun out D) the ‘hero was brave enough to do something about it and E) the ‘hero’ had a clear shot. Assuming this is all true then yes, having a gun could save the day at some point.

We must also consider we are NOT talking about America in this case. In Akihabara on a Sunday, it’s a crowded, noisy, chaotic mess. Japanese people tend to ignore others that they don’t know, and more than once I’ve observed someone screaming or shouting and people generally did their best to not pay attention.

Add that into the fact that Japanese laws don’t protect self-defense like American laws do. Being the ‘hero’ puts one in a dangerous legal situation that they don’t have to go into.

All that being said, I can’t imagine how if guns were involved, this situation could possibly have been better.

I would also like to take a page from a previous commenter’s site, talking about gun accidents:

http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcgvacci.html

It only gives the statistics for 2000 unfortunately. As much as they try to sugar coat it, the point is in that year, 600 people died from gun accidents. Their main defence is that in the grand scheme of things, 600 people is not a lot, however 600 > 0.

All this being said, I think allowing guns in Japan would be a terrible idea.

However, loosening the restrictions on who can own non-lethal disabling devices might be a change for the better. Definitely, stronger education and training for policeman is needed.

I’m not sure it’s as cut and dried as that, SD. In an area that crowded (I’m guessing here), it’d be pretty difficult even to have a clue what’s going on before he’s been and gone.

Nobody deserves being castigated for not risking their life in a situation like this.

Honestly, you wouldn’t see me tackling a knife-wielding maniac. Pretty sure he’d be running on adrenaline, and if my chances of subduing him are less than 100%, then my chances of being stabbed are 100%. Entirely voluntarily. Sounds nuts that way round.

I’m trying to remember what some cop friends told me, but knife wielding bad guys are very scary for them (although obviously not as bad as a gun). A person can easily cross 10 feet or so and stab you before you’re able to react. Unless you’re very trained, you can’t just tackle the guy and not expect to get stabbed (unless you can totally surprise him).

Years ago a Japanese politician who was also a judoka was stabbed even with his training (some Japanese martial artists I’ve talked over to the years said judo’s problem was training with wooden knives so the guy panicked when he saw a metal one coming at him). Moral of the story is that it’s not so easy as to just tackle the guy. For most people, shock will prevent any action or the flight instinct will kick in.

I can’t remember the politician who got stabbed for the life of me (it would have been decades ago) and right now googling anything with Japan and stabbing is useless.

johan

He used specific military knife which was developed to kill people. Now Japanese lawmakers are talking about the restriction of those knives.

Was it recorded anywhere how many victims were from the truck and how many were from the stabbing? Because it sounds incredulous that 18 people (or even half that) could’ve been stabbed under that circumstance.

“Really? The same day the attack in Akihabara occured, a man randomly stabbed a 13 year old school girl in Nagoya. Last week or so, a man was annoyed by some elementary school students, so he did a U-turn in his car and tried to run them all down. Last month, in my neighbor hood a man was randomly attacking woman with a knife, and he finally killed one. All of the happened in public, in broad daylight. Any Japanese who are paying attention are aware of this”

True, but it’s still realistic enough for bjair to say Japanese generally don’t expect violence in public. We’re talking about a nation of over 100 million people here, so you’re gonna get some headlines like that somewhere every week or month or so. Like Japanese politicians, I wish I knew why these senseless stabbings are happening more often nowadays….

Still, I’ll say I feel a heck of a lot safer walking the street alone at 3 in the morning in Tokyo than in D.C. or Atlanta.

Like skipphead mentioned, Akihabara is pretty chaotic, but I found it to be a very good-natured sea of people, not worried about much of anything but just enjoying the endless shopping, karaoke, arcades, etc. Unfortunately, that’s probably what made it that wacko’s target.

yes,there are a multitude of explanations and excuses ..

Such as an “inter-gen-irrational lack of communication”

‘Every generation
Blames the one before
And all of their frustrations
Come beating on your door..”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOSrKNVF2VI&feature=related

(my thoughts)

remora

Rune,

Actually, my question was not directed to you.

My original comment of “Too bad a victim or bystander didn’t have a gun - the carnage could have been much less.” was not a statement saying that I thought Japanese gun laws needed to be changed to allowed everyone to carry weapons, a conclusion to which you (”indeed Ed? Fireing into a crowd of friendlies a good option you believe?”) and other readers jumped. It was meant as a response to the hypothetical statement that ends the original article, in the sense that a hypothetical could be used to say just about anything. For example, “If the victims had been wearing rocket packs they could have flown safely out of harm’s way.”

ghoti wrote: “Really? The same day the attack in Akihabara occured, a man randomly stabbed a 13 year old school girl in Nagoya. Last week or so, a man was annoyed by some elementary school students, so he did a U-turn in his car and tried to run them all down. Last month, in my neighbor hood a man was randomly attacking woman with a knife, and he finally killed one. All of the happened in public, in broad daylight.”

I don’t understand your point. I never said there was no violence in Japan but that Japanese people generally are expecting that kind of violence. Just because there are a few overpublicized violent incidents in Japan doesn’t mean that the average Japanese person is prepared for it to happen to them.

Let’s just consider your point of view. Are you trying to tell me that you don’t feel 20 times safer walking the streets of a large Japanese city than a large US city?

In just one town in the US (New York, Chicago, LA, etc), there are multiple shootings every day and people are honestly not surprised when it happens. However, when even the slightest violent occurence happens anywhere in Japan, it is front page news. I think this illustrates my point.

“If you are so concerned with what the Japanese in Japan think about this, then learn Japanese. You won’t get that information hanging around a mainly Western, English speaking expat blog.”

That comment sounded defensive to me. What I meant by my comment was to get more of an understanding of how Japanese people are feeling rather than a Western guy who happens to be living in Japan feels. From the Japanese people that I know in the US, the general feeling is shock and sadness. I’m wasn’t being critical of Japundit, just being honest.

Also, I am learning Japanese, am married to a Japanese woman, lived in Japan for a year working/living with only Japanese people (very few Westerners) and go back to visit often. I honestly prefer Japan to the US because Japanese people are generally more kind and considerate. Obviously not much of that has rubbed off on you!

“The fact is, in the US, shootings are mostly confined to certain areas and certain people, while in Japan, violence is far more random. There are no good neighborhoods or bad neighborhoods in Japan.”

Say what you will but I feel many times more safe walking around in Japan than walking around in a similar populated city in the US. This is even considering that I avoid the “violent neighborhoods” in the US. Of course I would certainly worry about my child regardless of where I was living but would be significantly less worried in Japan.

“But, in the meantime, whining about it while you slag off Americans on an American-owned blog (which you read free of charge) is not going to get you any closer to that goal.”

First of all, all blogs on the Internet are pretty much free of charge. I think the person who “owns” the blog would prefer me to read it rather than not read it. Second of all, I thought the point of blogs was to encourage discussion, not telling people what they should think. Third, I don’t know why everything has to turn into a personal attack for you. It sounds like you have been in Japan a little too long and want to just vent your frustrations. If that’s the case, I know exactly how you feel.

Fourth, I don’t think I am “slagging off” (whatever that means) Americans or Westerners or anybody. I simply was curious about how Japanese people (in Japan) felt about the subject. If someone interprets that as being overly critical of the blog, then they take themselves way too seriously or have been in Japan a little too long.

“I would guess that, with your personality, after a few years in Japan you will start to whine about the Japanese much as you now whine about Americans. It’s a well-worn path for the Japan is wonderful, America sucks crowd. They just won’t live up to your dreamy expectations.”

Here you go with your personal attacks again. What’s ironic is that you sound like you are whining about Japanese people. You sound like quite a hypocrite to me.

I’m interested in this concept of having been somewhere “too long”.

How is it defined, and how does it manifest itself? (If I’ve been in Japan Too Long, should I move? Where to? And why? What has happened to me that wouldn’t have happened elsewhere?)

It’s a baffling concept. Could someone clarify a little?

(Or is it just a meaningless line used by unfortunate folk who are not only unhappy with their situation, but also are powerless to change it?)

Apparently, bjair, you are so unread that you don’t even read your own posts. If you don’t like personal comments, then refrain from starting off with personal comments.

What kind of sicko attaches smiley icons to personal insults, anyway?

As for the rest, I’ll leave you to wallow in your own words.

so fad-gadgetry and fetish-sizing once Sir Prized you warido?

do you like fishing?

remora

Edward & overoften,

Sorry if you were offended by my comments about being in Japan too long. It was not directed at you. I guess I let ghoti’s personal attacks get under my skin. Maybe I need a nice long soak in the お風呂.

“(Or is it just a meaningless line used by unfortunate folk who are not only unhappy with their situation, but also are powerless to change it?)”

I am disappointed that overoften would start firing off personal attacks before confirming that my comments were directed toward him and trying to understand what I am trying to say.

It is a little hard to explain what I meant by “being in Japan too long”. Admittedly it wasn’t the most appropriate choice of words. I think Western people who have lived in Japan for any significant length of time know what I want to say. Basically, in the US, we are encouraged to question things while in Japan, people are discouraged from questioning the way things are (and the “rules” that exist). When I first came to Japan (working for a Japanese company and being the only Westerner among hundreds of co-workers), I frequently questioned why something was a certain way. After enough blank stares and silent responses, I learned to not question things so much. However, from growing up in the US and being a curious person, it was difficult to not question things.

From my personal experience, after holding back all of my curiosity and having to follow trial rules on a daily basis, I frequently wanted to find a way to vent my frustrations. That is what I was trying to say in my above post. I felt like ghoti is just trying to find a place to vent the frustrations he has been holding back and I guess he uses the Japundit blog as his venting tool.

I guess using the phrase “in Japan too long” was too general and offensive. Sorry again to any and all offended parties. ごめんなさい。

Well, if I don’t need to be disappointed about your comment, then you don’t need to be unhappy when someone says that another person has been somewhere “too long”.

I’m not familiar with the news site that you are refering to…

the dilemma as I see it is this.

The longer you stay the harder it is to return.

Self doubt starts to set in and you become Bitter

You can’t really truly integrate and assimilate into Japanese Society..you tell yourself can but deep down you know can’t - I term this “Conceited Self-Deceit”

my case is less of a sticky wicket - 75% of my Family Unit (aka F.U.#1) like it just dandy in Japan and have no intention of going anywhere else except for hols.

As one of them acidly remarked “Zoo is nice place to visit - but I wouldn’t want live there”.

I’d be interested to hear if you are content with the prospect of spending the rest of your days in Japan overoften.
and I mean that in all sincerity…its a life matter so its serious.

remora

Fair enough.

*got to pop up the shops now*

Bye

bjair: I don’t know if it’s deliberate or not, but FWIW you’re coming across as someone who not only insists on having the last word but is convinced he/she deserves it by right of natural superiority.
If that’s what you want, fine. Just figured you ought to know in case it’s a matter of thoughtless phrasing rather than obnoxious character.

“Maybe you should stop visiting the site yourself…”
Though that seems barbed, I’ll assume it isn’t. That site is a good source of news. Just don’t get sucked into reading the readers’ comments.