Andrew Wilson wrote:

I'm going to quote Slacker here when this very question came up on All
the Small Things chapter 5:

"All right, I'll give you this one, as I don't know of any permits that
might allow you to carry a gun. It's illegal as all hell in Japan.

  Handgun, yes, otherwise... http://i2i.org/SuptDocs/Crime/Japanese_Gun_Control.htm

  And an increasing number of non-Yakuza citizens _are_ aquiring handguns, despite the (non)legality of the situation. http://www.jmission-eu.be/interest/firearms.htm

  Now, that second link is a tad out of date, but then, it's also appropriate to the time that Ranma 1/2 is often set in.

However....

So is owning a sword. And carrying a bokken and waving it around in
public is DEFNITELY illegal. Strapping a five-foot long spatula to your
back, along with a bandoleer of throwing spatulas across your chest,
both of which are OBVIOUSLY intended as weapons? Illegal."

  Carrying a bokken around, however, is not illegal. A sword, yes, but not a bokken. If it were illegal, then wouldn't kendo be illegal, also? Attacking someone with a bokken (or anything else) wouldn't be legal, but then, that's common sense. ;)

  My understanding is that many kendoka carry their bokken home after practice. To be fair, this is different from running around waving it at someone, but...

Can we drop this, please?  Considering the cultural contradictions in
Japanses society (I am *not* going to elaborate on this list, I don't
been like getting postbanned again) I see no problem in believing that
someone could get a gun or two, no matter what the laws say.

  Possibly. The man in Mr. Jones' story could have been Yakuza, or just a hobbyist with a little too much money. ;) However, the info's in his hands, as is his story. How he deals with it is up to him.

  Hopefully the links provided can answer any additional questions people have, as well as resolve some confusion on the situation to prevent this one from cropping up every time a gun pops up in a Ranma fic.

(note: I'm not saying America doesn't have contradictions too, just
pointing out that Japan does.  we do...Oh man do we ever)