TOKYO: The number of new applications to possess hunting guns and air guns in Japan has been in the 7,000 to 8,000 range in recent years, about twice the level of a little more than 10 years ago, National Police Agency sources told Jiji Press Wednesday.

In particular, the number of hunting gun owners in their 20s to 30s is on a rise, while older generations show the opposite trend, according to the sources.

The 31-year-old man arrested over Thursday’s fatal stabbing and shooting incident in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, is known to have received permission from the local authority to possess four guns.

Although people need to show medical certificates when applying for the permission or renewing the permission, critics say this is not enough to determine correctly whether an applicant is qualified or not.

The growing number of applications apparently reflects the popularity of hunting and clay shooting. Also, the requirements for permission were partially eased after being tightened in 2009.

The number of people who took beginners’ courses for hunting gun possession stood at 3,749 in 2010, shortly after the firearms and swords control law was revised and the possession requirements were tightened.

At that time, only psychiatrists were allowed to give the medical certificates needed for the permission. The number increased to 7,251 in 2015 when local family doctors were newly allowed to issue the certificates.

Since then, the number has been increasing steadily, reaching 7,906 in 2022.

At the end of 2021, the number of hunting gun holders in their 20s was 3,084, rising by 596 from the end of 2012 when there were comparable records. The number of people in their 30s was 6,284, up 496.

But the number of holders is on a decline among people in their 40s or older. In particular, the number fell by about 20,000 to 51,857 among people aged 60 or over.

The total number of people who possess hunting guns stood at 87,973, down by about 26,000.

Tetsuya Tsuda, a critic who is familiar with firearms, said, “If you look at past incidents in which hunting guns were used, many seem to have developed from problems within families or with neighbors.”

“In the Nagano case, it was possible to prevent police officers from being shot if the suspect had no guns at hand,” Tsuda said.

“It’s difficult for a person to judge whether someone is not qualified,” Tsuda said, suggesting that all gun owners should be required to keep their guns at gun shops, except for those used to kill birds and animals.

JIJI Press