A Japanese student who was fatally shot in the United States 30 years ago was remembered in his home city, where his parents renewed their appeal for the world without gun crimes.

About 100 people took part in the ceremony for Hattori Yoshihiro in Nagoya City, western Japan, on Sunday.

The 16-year-old was studying in the US state of Louisiana in October 1992. He was on his way to a Halloween party when he went to the wrong house, whose owner mistook him for an invader and fatally shot him.

Hattori's parents have been campaigning for US gun control since their son's death.

The victim's mother, Hattori Mieko, said she has been trying to promote the cause so that her son's death would never be in vain.

The controversy over gun control is dividing the public in the US, which has been plagued by mass shootings. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first firearm regulation law in 28 years, was enacted in June.

But that same month, the US Supreme Court overturned a New York state law that restricted firearms carried outside the home. The ruling found that the law infringed on the constitutional right to possess guns.

Speaking at the ceremony, the victim's father, Hattori Masaichi, said that although US gun control efforts still have a long way to go, they have been making gradual progress. He called on people to focus on the issue, since nothing positive occurs without public awareness.

The mother later told reporters that she cannot believe 30 years have already passed since her son's death. She said she hopes people will believe that their efforts, one step at a time, can help change the world.