Yoshitomo Imura decided to create some firearms using a 3D printer. What made his attempt different than most of the attempts we hear about is that he lives in Japan, a country known for its strict weapon control laws. What made his attempt stupid was that he bragged about doing so on the Internet. Because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut is will not spend two years of his life rotting in a cage:
Yesterday, a Japanese man was sentenced to two years in prison for manufacturing 3D-printed guns. Yoshitomo Imura, a 28-year-old from Kawasaki, was arrested in May after posting a video of himself assembling his very illegal firearm to YouTube, which probably wasn’t the best idea on his part.
The right to bear DIY weaponry is still a contentious issue in most of the world. But if guns are illegal in your country—as they mostly are in Japan—then it makes sense that the law isn’t suddenly going to side with you when you decide to have a crack at making one in your garage. Imura appears to be the first person in the world to receive a prison sentence for making 3D-printed guns.
I applaud Imura for what he did. His act of defiance demonstrated that gun control laws are ineffective. However, when you’re breaking the law you shouldn’t brag about it unless you plan to make a big scene in a courtroom because that’s where you’ll likely end up.
What does surprise me is the sentence. Considering Japan’s weapon control laws I’d have imagined a longer sentence. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he’s not going to spend more time in a cage but when he was arrested I was expecting the sentence to be longer.