Martial arts and futons: how the Japanese police confront violence

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Japan has virtually eradicated gun crime. The biggest contributors to low levels of gun violence are the police, who prefer to rely on their skills in martial arts - and futons than reach for a gun. "The first instinct is not to reach for a gun - what most Japanese police will do is to get huge futons and essentially roll up the person who is being violent or drunk into a little burrito and carry them back to the station and calm them down. The response to violence is never violence - it is to de-escalate." Anthony Berteaux, journalist and activist Photo: Japanese police prepare for a demonstration Credit: Getty Images