Content
Results of Questionnaire on Gun Crimes
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■ Period
- September 14 - 21, 2001
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■ Method
- Questionnaire was distributed to 30,000 people by e-mail.
Answers were received via personal computer (783 people) and via mobile phone (590 people).
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■ Subjects
- 1,373 respondents (male 51.4%, female 48.6%)
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Ages :
- 10-19 yrs. old (26.0%), 20-29 (40.1%), 30-39 (24.5%),
40-49 (7.5%), over 50 (1.8%)
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Occupations :
- full-time workers (38.6%), part-time workers (8.8%), students (22.1%), specialists (doctors, lawyers, etc.) (2.2%), self-employed (5.9%),
homemakers (14.2%), liberal professions (2.8%), unemployed (5.5%)
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Marital status :
- married (38.2%), single (61.8%)
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Number of family members including respondent :
- 1 (19.0%), 2 (14.4%), 3 (21.5%), 4 (26.2%), 5 (11.7%), over 6 (7.3%)
Q1
Q : What are you most proud of regarding Japan and Japanese people? (multiple answers included)
A :
- ■ History/tradition （17.3％）
- ■ Safety （17.8％）
- ■ Dilligence/ability （11.1％）
- ■ Culture/art （14.7％）
- ■ Science and technology （11.3％）
- ■ Nature （8.1％）
- ■ Education level （7.5％）
- ■ Nationality （5.5％）
- ■ Economy （2.9％）
- ■ Other （4.0％）
1st - safety (17.8%); 2nd - history/tradition (17.3%); 3rd - culture/art (14.7%). People regard Japan as a safer country than other foreign countries.
Q2
Q : What kind of images do you have about guns?
A :
- ■ Cool （3.5％）
- ■ Scary （15.2％）
- ■ Dangerous weapon （53.9％）
- ■ Weapon to save oneself （7.4％）
- ■ Not related to everyday life （17.6％）
- ■ Other （2.5％）
Majority answered guns to be dangerous weapons (53.9%). However, teenagers occupied the largest number (41%) out of the respondents who answered guns are cool (3.5%).
Q3
Q : Do you think gun crimes are increasing?
A :
- ■ Increasing （82.6％）
- ■ Neither increasing nor decreasing （11.3％）
- ■ Decreasing （0.5％）
- ■ Don't know （5.6％）
Majority answered gun crimes are increasing (82.6%).
Q4
Q : Do you have a fear that you might be caught up in gun crimes?
A :
- ■ Yes, but there is no way of prevention （79.9％）
- ■ Yes, and I have preventive measures （1.7％）
- ■ No （17.5％）
- ■ I have preventive measures because I was involved in it before （0.3％）
- ■ do not have preventive measures though I was involved in it before （0.6％）
"Yes, but there is no way of prevention (79.9%)" shows very close percentage to the answer in Q3 "I think gun crimes are increasing." This result clearly shows the anxiety of Japanese people about the increasing number of gun crimes. It also shows that people are anxious and do not know what to do to protect themselves from gun crimes.
Q5
Q : o you want to hold a gun or try shooting it?
A :
- ■ Yes, I want to hold a gun and try shooting it. （5.7％）
- ■ Yes, I want to hold a gun but do not want to shoot it. （5.9％）
- ■ No, I do not want to hold a gun but I want to try shooting it. （37.1％）
- ■ No, I want neither to hold nor to shoot a gun. （51.4％）
Majority responded they want neither to hold nor to shoot a gun (51.4%). 48.6% people responded they want either to hold or to try shooting a gun. One third responded they do not want to hold a gun but want to try shooting it (37.1%), showing they have a desire to try shooting it regardless of age.
Q6
Q : Is owning guns permitted in Japan?
A :
- ■ Permitted if one reports it. （29.7％）
- ■ Not permitted even if one reports it （12.7％）
- ■ ot permitted but want permission from now on. （2.0％）
- ■ No, do not permit it in the future either. （55.5％）
1st - No, do not permit it in the future either (55.5%); 2nd - Permitted if one reports it (29.7%); 3rd - Not permitted even if one reports it (12.7%); 4th - "Not permitted but want permission from now on (2.0%)."
In Japan, both owning guns and importing guns are forbidden!
