With handguns banned, Japan increases gun control

Huh? How, you may ask, can you make gun laws stricter when handguns are already banned and rifles and shotguns and ammunition licensed. If you do, what good will come of it since the recent spate of shootings and assassinations have involved the yakuza as usual? These guys always get guns. They don't buy them legally. Last year I recall reading about the police confiscating a machine gun---a real machine gun, not a semi-auto---and I believe an anti-tank gun from one of the local thug groups.

Well, anyway, if we pass stricter gun laws, it will look like we have done something to address the yakuza problem without really doing much. Supposedly, the police will also increase surveillance of these crooks. We'll see. Shouldn't be hard as they operate a lot right out in the open. Go to Oimachi a few blocks from the station and you can see them quite often having their meetings. Sometimes, there will be a couple of cops parked nearby in some tiny little girly-car watching guys driving Mercedes and Hummers. Impressive show of police power.

And we surely could not do anything about their right-wing nutjob sound-truck-driving thugs. Why, the LDP would have to take action against some of its strongest supporters.

Story at http://www.theglobeandmail.com