Only air rifles and shotguns are legal in Japan. Applicants must take a class on gun regulations, pass written and practical exams, and provide medical proof of their mental health and drug-free status. Gun-owners are required to store their weapons in a locker and keep ammunition in a separate locked safe. They must submit to background checks, yearly inspections of the firearm, and retake classes and written exams every three years. Japanese civilians hold just 710,000 guns with 0.6 firearms per 100 people (the United States has 270 million guns — 88.8 per 100 people), according to the Washington Post. There are nearly 127 million people living in Japan but in 2008 there were only 11 gun homicides, the website Vox reported. In 2011, there were none.