Japan's former PM Shinzo Abe assassinated at campaign event

[bill937ca]

Shocking news from Japan.  Apparently he was shot from behind while giving a campaign speech.  One thing I learned during my years of Japan watching is that guns are rare in Japan but not totally non-existent.  Even Putin has called the assignation despicable.   

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/japan-shinzo-abe-hospital-1.6514308

 

In depth coverage on BBC.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-asia-62088876

 

Guns in Japan

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/08/abe-shooting-why-gun-violence-is-so-rare-in-zero-tolerance-japan

 

 

Edited July 8, 2022 by bill937ca

[JR East]

Having a weapon (legally) in Japan is very difficult. You can see here (in an old topic) the restrictions  

 

https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/japanese-gun-control-laws-are-oppressive-gun-control-p-252-259-1992

 

Anayway, it's sad to see that you can be killed just because you're a politician. 

 

JM

[railsquid]

Home-made gun.

[JR East]

1 minute ago, railsquid said:

Home-made gun.

 

It's what I heard too. They said it on TV 24/24 news channel as I was having (very late) lunch. 

[railsquid]

50 minutes ago, JR East said:

Having a weapon (legally) in Japan is very difficult.

 

Random anecdote: a couple of years back I stopped off in a random 100 yen shop, as one does, and noticed they had a multi-tool thingy (aka Swiss Army knife knock-off) for a whole 300 yen + consumption tax, and thought "hey, looks kind of useful, let's break the bank and go for it". I then put it deep in a pocket of my rucksack and forgot about it, until a couple of months ago when I was traversing Kabukicho because it was the most convenient way from A to B (with "A" being Seibu Shinjuku station and "B" being somewhere boring on the other side of Kabukicho), when a pair of police officers sprinted up behind me and wondered in no uncertain terms if they could take a look through my rucksack. Not being in the mood to go all Debito (Google him) on them I acquiesced, and lo and behold said multitool of dubious quality was suddenly A Big Problem as the 3.5 cm cutting tool (they measured it) which could probably do serious damage to a stick of butter if used from with excessive force from the right angle suddenly became A Potential Stabbing Weapon which could potentially be used to stab people in the event of the kind of Kabukcho altercation which would involve me a) not totally avoiding it in the first place (I've traversed the area probably hundreds of times at all times of day or night with nary an issue) and b) saying "wait scary Kabukicho people, let me rummage in my rucksack for this 3.5cm butter knife to stab you with". 15 minutes of back-and-forth ("do I look like the kind of person who goes looking for trouble in Kabukicho? Also I'm really sorry to cause all this trouble, I will reflect on my mistake") I was on my way with said weapon of 330 yen potential mass butter stabbing potential still in my possession with the stern warning maybe to leave it at home next time.

[bill937ca]

51 minutes ago, railsquid said:

Home-made gun.

I kinda thought that from the beginning. But never heard of a home-made gun anywhere other than Japan.

[railsquid]

Look up "ghost gun".

 

 

[Welshbloke]

Or "zip gun"

 

Some people like to froth about 3d printed guns, but it's been possible to make a crude firearm from plumbing supplies with basic hand tools for decades. Inaccurate and probably more dangerous to the shooter than anyone else, but lethal at close range.

[Giugiaro]

I was going to create a thread about this event, but refrained from doing so for potentially infringing forum rules reggarding off-topic political and violent themes. At the time Abe was still alive. 

 

Anyway, quite a disgraceful thing to do. Shooting someone in the back is like one of the most disrespectful things someone can do to someone else, and the fact it happened in Japan is shocking! 

 

Regardless of what Abe was, said, did and what kind of popularity he had, he didn't deserve this. No one does.

 

May he rest in peace, and my thoughts are with his family, friends and the Japanese.

 

Hope this isn't the start of a turning point towards a dark era for the country. The arson attack at Kyoto Animation was already a lot to deal with. 

Edited July 8, 2022 by Giugiaro

[cteno4]

Being a Japanese train forum, it’s appropriate for having the topic here in off topic on it as he was a bit part of japan the last couple of decades. We just don’t want it to spin out int a big political discussion.

 

very sad this sort of stuff keeps happening in the world.

 

i really regret I couldn’t attend a whitehouse lawn event for Abe that I got invited to like 8 years back. But unfortunately both my parents had to be hospitalized the day before the even with pneumonia, so I had my hands full. It was funny as I thought a friend was playing a practical joke on me, but then the invite and security check was kosher.

 

jeff