Japanese police rush to retrieve toy guns capable of firing live ammunition
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A National Police Agency flier calling for toy guns that can fire live ammunition to be handed in to the police. Prefectural police have set the end of December as a deadline.
PHOTO: THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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TOKYO - The Japanese police are rushing to round up toy guns that can fire live ammunition, urging owners of these toys to consult the local police.
In Kanagawa prefecture alone, there are about 2,900 Real Gimmick Mini Revolver toys that are estimated to be in circulation, with only 76 having been recovered by the police by the end of November.
The Real Gimmick Mini Revolver and 16 other toy gun models were deemed as lethal weapons by the police, according to a Japan Today news report in November.
Gun ownership is strictly regulated in Japan.
The prefectural police have set the end of December as a deadline for the toys to be handed in to police, stating that possession or sale of the product after that may constitute a violation of the Firearms and Swords Control Law.
According to the National Police Agency and other sources, about 16,000 of the toy guns have been imported from China since December 2024 and apparently distributed to 78 companies across 31 prefectures.
The toys are also distributed as prizes in crane games.
In May, the Hyogo Prefectural Police and others discovered one such gun during a search of a residence.
An examination of the product confirmed that it was capable of firing live ammunition.
The toy gun is about 12cm in length and comes with plastic bullets. It has a colourful appearance, coming in colours such as blue and green. THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
