Latest news with #HyogoPrefecturalPolice
SoraNews24
2 days ago
- SoraNews24
Toy guns won from crane games all over Japan could be used as real guns, warn police
Good thing those machines are really hard to win at. You can win all kinds of things from crane games in Japan, from slices of cake to not-so-precious gemstones. So, it's perhaps only mildly surprising that the National Police Agency issued a warning that illegal firearms were also up for grabs by mechanical claws in game centers across Japan. According to the NPA, some 16,000 Real Gimmick Mini Revolvers were imported to Japan from China and used as prizes in crane games. The brightly colored pistols came with a set of eight plastic bullets that can be used to ping cans or annoy siblings, with a recommended age of 12 and up. However, the specs of the gun itself are such that it could also potentially be used to fire live ammunition as well. ▼ I guess it's right there in the name. The gimmick is that they're real. This is a surprisingly common problem, and the NPA has also released a list of 16 other Chinese-manufactured guns that could potentially fire real bullets due to the use of a hard enough plastic or metal hammer in the correct position and a large enough barrel. Anyone with these toys should be aware they are in possession of an illegal firearm and turn them over to the police as soon as possible. And of course, no one should ever attempt to shoot live rounds from any of them for many reasons, but a big one is that they are just toys and run an extremely high risk of blowing up in the shooter's hand before ever letting off a shot that would go nowhere near its intended target. The Real Gimmick Mini was found by the Hyogo Prefectural Police to have been one such gun, when they discovered one while investigating a home on a separate matter. The gun was confirmed to be dangerous by forensic testing afterward, and subsequent efforts have so far recovered 450 of the toys. Comments online were surprised that a potentially lethal weapon could not only get into the country but into the nation's crane games as well. Some also felt the importers should be punished or more closely regulated to stop this from happening again. 'Shouldn't they be catching this stuff when it's imported?' 'It's not even a good toy. I'd be mad if I was given it as a prize.' 'Is this a way for people to smuggle guns? That's scary.' 'Yakuza and half grey members are probably all flocking to game centers now.' 'It's not exactly the most discreet weapon either.' 'Good luck getting bullets anyway.' 'They're even more dangerous because they can't shoot straight.' 'Make the importers track them all down and then arrest them.' No charges have been announced against the importers, and it seems very likely they were completely unaware that these toy guns could possibly be used as real guns. Even the producers were probably oblivious to the toy guns' potential, as game center prizes manufactured in China aren't exactly known to be the pinnacle of craftsmanship. At least it's good to know the threat these thousands of potential guns pose is rather low because ammunition is incredibly hard to come by in Japan. However, if crane games suddenly start offering plastic Real Gimmick Exploding Bullet toys, then we'd be in trouble. Source: National Police Agency 1, 2, Yomiuri Shimbun, My Game News Flash Featured image: National Police Agency Insert image: National Police Agency 1, 2 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
The Mainichi
21-06-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Individuals who spread false info about Hyogo governor candidate referred to prosecutors
KOBE -- Several people involved in spreading multiple false posts on X (formerly Twitter) about Kazumi Inamura, a candidate in last fall's Hyogo gubernatorial election, have been referred to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Public Offices Election Act, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned from a source close to the investigation. Hyogo Prefectural Police sent papers on the accused to prosecutors June 20. The opinions attached by the police on the handling of each individual have not been disclosed. The Kobe District Public Prosecutors Office will carefully determine whether criminal responsibility can be pursued. Inamura, former mayor of Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, ran against Motohiko Saito in the November 2024 gubernatorial election, in which the latter was reelected. According to her support group, during the campaign period, false claims were posted on X, such as "Inamura is promoting foreign residents' voting rights." The support group filed a criminal complaint regarding these posts. The prefectural police also sent prosecutors documents the same day accusing unspecified suspects of obstruction of business by deception over the freezing of an X account run by Inamura's support group due to alleged false reports. (Japanese original by Yuta Shibayama and Yuria Kiyama, Kobe Bureau)
The Mainichi
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Hyogo Gov. referred to prosecutors over election law violation in west Japan pref.
KOBE -- Hyogo Prefectural Police on June 20 sent documents on Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Public Offices Election Act by paying a PR company in return for campaign services during last fall's gubernatorial election, sources close to the matter have revealed to the Mainichi Shimbun. Police also sent prosecutors papers on the 33-year-old female president of the PR company Merchu, who allegedly received payment from Saito's side, on suspicion of receiving bribes under the same law. Authorities have not disclosed their views on how the two should be prosecuted. The Kobe District Public Prosecutors Office will carefully examine whether the two bear criminal responsibility. Shortly after the 47-year-old governor's reelection in November 2024, the PR company president posted online that she had been "entrusted with overall public relations" among other things. Saito's campaign paid the PR company a total of 715,000 yen (about $4,900), and in December 2024, parties including a university professor filed a criminal complaint against the two, claiming the payment constituted compensation for election campaign activities. Saito's side has explained that the payment was for the production of campaign posters and flyers, which are permitted under the election law, and has completely denied any illegality or bribery. (Japanese original by Yuta Shibayama and Yuria Kiyama, Kobe Bureau)
The Mainichi
28-04-2025
- The Mainichi
Superintendent at Japan's Hyogo police hid handcuff loss for 12 years
KOBE -- A superintendent at Hyogo Prefectural Police concealed that he had lost a pair of handcuffs for 12 years, and revealed the fact just before retirement recently, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned through a freedom-of-information request. The superintendent in his 60s, who was scheduled to retire in March, confessed to the loss before returning items that had been issued to him and left the force after receiving an admonishment from the police affairs department chief. In the investigation, he reportedly explained, "I didn't come clean because I wanted to advance in my career." According to a source close to the investigation, the former superintendent lost a pair of handcuffs and its key around July 2012 while serving as a chief inspector in the security division at a police station in the prefecture's Toban area. He searched for the items but could not find them, and did not report the loss to his superiors. The prefectural police conduct regular inspections of possessions, but at the time of the loss, the former superintendent was responsible for checking his subordinates' items and concealed his own loss. The handcuffs remain missing, and the circumstances of the loss are unclear, but there is apparently no evidence of misuse. He reported the loss March 26. The prefectural police's inspector's office carried out an investigation over two days and issued an admonishment March 28. On March 27, the police issued a notice requiring all employees to undergo a visual inspection of their possessions. (Japanese original by Yuta Shibayama, Kobe Bureau)
The Mainichi
23-04-2025
- The Mainichi
How did American tourist mistakenly bring gun into Japan despite airport screenings?
An American tourist in his 70s was recently arrested in Japan for possessing a handgun, which he had inadvertently brought with him in his suitcase along with ammunition. Though the case was later dropped, it begs the question: How did the firearm get through security checks at two airports? The man departed from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Hawaii March 21 with his wife in her 80s. They arrived at Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture the following day and stayed at a nearby hotel. They planned to embark on a cruise from Kobe to visit various locations in Japan and Busan, South Korea. Their journey, however, was cut short after the discovery of the gun and three bullets the man had brought with him. Regularly carried pistol for self-defense The man found the handgun and ammunition in his suitcase when he opened it at the hotel, and reported it to cruise staff. After receiving the report via port officials, Hyogo Prefectural Police's Kobe Suijo Police Station arrested him on March 24 on suspicion of violating Japan's firearms and swords control law. He had thrown the ammunition into a cruise terminal trash bin, fearing harsher penalties if they were found with the gun. The man apparently carried the pistol on a regular basis for self-defense in the United States, keeping it in a leopard-print fabric pouch. This pouch was packed in his checked suitcase for the flight from Hawaii to Japan. During questioning, he reportedly told the prefectural police that he brought it by mistake and that he knew guns are regulated in Japan. Still, the question remains why the gun was not detected during security checks before his departure from Hawaii or upon his arrival in Japan. According to Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, countries that have ratified the Convention on International Civil Aviation set by the United Nations, including Japan, are required to conduct security checks before departure to prevent hijackings and other forms of terrorism. The bodies responsible for these checks vary by country, and in Japan, they are carried out by airlines or contracted security companies. Here, luggage is examined using X-rays and other methods to detect items that may explode, ignite or be used as weapons. Bringing dangerous items aboard an aircraft violates the Civil Aeronautics Act, and can be punished by up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 1 million yen (about $7,000). Security checks before flights As the United States has also ratified the convention, an official at Japan's transport ministry expressed confusion, saying, "Handguns should not be able to make it onto a Japan-bound aircraft." A U.S. Transportation Security Administration officer at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport expressed sympathy for the man who was arrested. According to them, items prohibited on flights are explained when passengers check in luggage at airline counters at airports in the U.S. The officer added that there must have been warnings since the man was traveling to a country like Japan where firearms are banned, and that he might not have declared it because he didn't realize the gun was in his luggage. The officer emphasized that all luggage is checked using X-rays and other means. But approximately 6,600 pistols are seized annually at U.S. airports, indicating that many reach security checkpoints. The man's case is an example of how firearms somehow go unnoticed. Professor Hajime Tozaki of J.F. Oberlin University, an expert on airport policies, commented, "Security checks before boarding flights are the are the most important, and the risk of hijacking and terrorism increases if they aren't thorough." He acknowledged that high volumes of luggage and insufficiently trained staff could lead to security oversights. Although pre-flight security has become stricter globally due to frequent terrorist incidents, inspection methods differ by country. The gun and ammunition may have evaded detection by being obscured among other items in the recent case. Security checks in Japan Can Japanese airport inspections miss firearms? Tozaki stated, "Since the plane arrived safely, there isn't much attention paid to dangerous items." At Kansai International Airport, where the man with the gun arrived, luggage inspections are conducted. However, according to Osaka Customs, the basic procedure for inspecting travelers from overseas involves verifying declared possessions. In some cases, X-ray screening or visual checks are performed, but apparently not all luggage is examined. A customs spokesperson acknowledged, "It's true that a handgun passed through Kansai airport, but we refrain from commenting on individual cases." Measures needed for a tourism-oriented nation Tozaki commented, "In this case, the man was unaware that he had brought a gun with him, and he probably didn't act suspiciously. Since it was not declared, it likely went unnoticed at Kansai airport." However, with global tensions rising due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip, he cautioned, "There is a significant possibility that intentional firearm smuggling could increase in the future. The question is how can we prevent it." Kansai International Airport plays a key role as the main gateway for international travelers visiting Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. As the airport is a crucial hub for Japan, which seeks to attract more inbound tourists, Tozaki stressed the need for heightened vigilance regarding the smuggling of dangerous items. He further stated, "Urgent measures may be necessary such as increasing the number of inspectors, with the national government providing financial support for these expenses. The recent case of the pistol should be recognized as an issue that affects Japan's reputation as it aims to become a tourism-oriented nation."
