It now stands at about 53-thousand, half of what it was in its heyday. The trend has created an oversupply of firearms in the gangster community. Some even abandon their guns in coin operated lockers and notify the police anonymously, in the hope that they can rid themselves of obstructions to their new careers. About five or six years ago a handgun used to cost around one million yen. The current going rate has tumbled to between 200 and 400 thousand yen.
Ordinary citizens can easily obtain handguns from gangsters.
The deterioration of the gangster economy is contributing to the violent nature of many crimes. Some gangsters have openly begun breaking their unwritten code of conduct, which bans targeting ordinary citizens. Their collusion with corporate executives continues. Japan is an island nation, surrounded by the sea. It is impossible stop all attempts to smuggle firearms into the country, especially with some coming in via fishing boats and freighters.