Photo/Illutration The homemade gun that police say Tetsuya Yamagami used to kill former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on July 8, 2022, in Nara (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

In response to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's assassination with a homemade firearm, posting videos showing how to make a gun will become illegal in Japan.

The National Police Agency compiled a draft revision of the Swords and Firearms Control Law on Dec. 21 that will prohibit and impose penalties for encouraging the illegal possession of guns by posting videos on the internet explaining how to manufacture one.

The revision also expands the application scope for the crime of firing one while strengthening penalties for the crime of possession.

The NPA aims to submit the bill to next year’s ordinary Diet session.

Tetsuya Yamagami, 43, who has been indicted for murder and other crimes in Abe’s death, allegedly handcrafted the gun by referring to videos on online posting sites.

While there is a lot of information on the internet about how to manufacture and transfer firearms--which anyone can access to make their own guns and other items--there are no laws or regulations prohibiting the dissemination of such information.

The draft revision would make it illegal to publicly incite or instigate acts that constitute the crime of possessing a handgun or other firearm.

Applicable cases include posting a video explaining how to make a handgun, along with a statement calling for the illegal possession of handguns; and posting on an internet bulletin board that a foreign-made handgun is for sale, along with the type of firearm, price and contact information.

The language must be such that it leads to the manufacture or even possession of a gun, but cases that do not lead to actual possession will also be covered.

Penalties of up to one year in prison are being considered.

The draft revision also includes enhanced charges for firing and possession in response to the Abe shooting.

The firing offense, which prohibits the use of a firearm in a public place, currently covers mainly handguns. The draft revision would add other loaded firearms, hunting rifles and air guns.

The penalties for the possession of a firearm, which are currently severe mainly for handguns, will be increased for other firearms as well should such a weapon be “for the purpose of killing or wounding a person.”

In addition, the criteria for permission to possess hunting rifles, known as half rifles, which were used in the murder of four people in Nagano Prefecture in May, will be tightened.

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