Job Discussion Forums

[IrishMark]

Hi,
I was hoping someone could tell me about the drug scene in Japan. Is it possible to get ecstasy? Is it expensive? What about weed? feedback would be great, cuz I'm hoping to go out, but i'l wanna party.

[taikibansei]

[thestaypail]

I was wondering the same thing. I don't understand the sarcastic remark from takibansei. In California responsible drug use is common, weed is plentiful and not even looked down upon by most people, In Oakland it's been completely decriminalized. A lot of my friends are high payed corporate types who do drugs almost every weekend. Is occasional drug use unreasonable if you're a teacher in Japan? Are laws and it's enforcement more strict in these regards?

I just assumed with all the crazy psychedelic music, art, and styles coming out of Japan that certain types of drugs are readily available, at least in the urban areas.

[Crab]

I was whacked out for the entire 7 years I was in Japan! I found it really helped me to overcome social inhibitions and be much more genki with my students. I also found Illicit drug use to be the only way for me to cope with and appreciate the following:

1. The subway system
2. Pushy obasans
3. Traffic congestion
4. Japanese TV
5. Lethargic students
6. Kanji
7. Currency conversion
8. Visiting the post office
9. The Koshien baseball tourney
10. Rainy season
11. P enis festivals (and naked festivals)
12. Keigo
13. Administration at my university
14. Airport security
15. Colds
16. Prudent shopping in 100 yen shops
17. Being ignored by the teenage tissue dispensers at street corners
18. My own miserable self

Go to Japan! Get high! You might want to do some research first though. Discussion forums probably aren't the best place to get accurate information.

[PAULH]

A few stories for you....

http://www.taima.org/en/hemplib3.htm#mccartney

[jojoebi]

weed is a class A drug in japan, the same as coke, heroin etc etc.
it is available, it is expensive and the penalties are high.

[worlddiva]

Ignore Taikibansei's comment. If you're against drugs Taikibansei, fine, that's your business. Then just ingore this post and move on no need for the sarcasm. In my opinion you could probably use a dube.

Anyways, IrishMark, I also wondered the same thing. Like you, I wanted to know if there was E. So, after speaking with a guy who has been in Japan for 10 years, he told me that you could get anything you want in Tokyo. E, speed, pot, etc.Coke, however was hard to find he said.

Now that said, even if I was in Tokyo which I am not , would I actually buy it here? I don't know, I thought about it...and, I think it just might be too risky. First of all, I don't speak Japanese, so it would be hard to get an idea of what I'm buying, plus it would also be hard to determine if the dealer is legit or not.

I like my quality and usually know exactly what I'm buying. Poppin' mystery pills....a recipie for getting even more paranoid. Plus, I don't know if you've considered the day after and the day after that. Think about it for a minute, you're cracked out, either alone or with people you just partied with (strangers basically), you're starting to feel a little crappy and then super paranoia sets in cause you don't understand the language and you're in a foreign country, far from everyone you know!
Personally, I didn't want to take that risk.

However, if you've got some friends here and speak the language then maybe it would be ok. But the quality is still a risk unless you know someone that knows someone that knows a guy that can get you good stuff!

That's my opinion.

[Iwantmyrightsnow]

Tends to be difficult to get anything unless you have contacts. Iranians have been known to sell in Tokyo and to a lesser extent, Osaka. E is around on the club scene. I never sought it out but was offered it once in 10 years.

If you hangout enough you will come across things but be wary. If Japanese people get caught they squesl. A friend of a friend gave it to me. That could well be you, even though you got it from them. Be very discreet.

I had colleagues who do a lot of things at home but I wouldn't because it is easy to get caught for something else like not carrying id etc, and the police having a reason to enter your home.

Whatever you do, do not bring a personal supply with you. The chances of getting caught are slim but the panlties are very stiff. Even possession of one joint will get you jail time.

Mushrooms were popular for a while as they were legal not sure about now. Think there was a change in the law.

I would view a year here as a chance to clean out the system, especially in smaller areas.

By the way, one of my former students ( while a 3rd year hs) got caught mailing stuff back from asia to himself for the yaks. He is now doing time.

[hart2]

Okay, ive been living and hanging out in the Tokyo area for a few months now.

Most of my friends are local Nihonjin street dancers.Breakers, hiphop dancers, those kinda people. Most of them are pretty keen to party hard.

A few of them smoke marufana occasionally. But thats about it. Of course drugs are less prolific here because of cultural differences.

But in Roppongi there is a legal drug store. They sell 'shrooms, Acid and a few synthsised drugs.

But if I aint mistaken this is an ESL forum. May get more informed advice if you head over to one of the other usual gaijin foums to ask this question. Im sure the local Ravers would be really helpful......until the next morning!
12hrs of dancing later

[Lover]

You don't want to come to Japan or any Asian country to do drugs. If the police suspect you of doing drugs they can test your urine and if any traces of drugs are found you are under arest! You probably can't deal with being in a jail in Japan since you can't deal with life without the use of drugs!
Go to Ampsterdam if you want to party!

[JimDunlop2]

Okay, I for one thought taikibansei's sarcasm was pretty damned funny...

I would not have phrased it quite the same way myself, but I can understand his (her)? feeling about the issue. Obviously, he thought it was a pretty obvious question to ask about -- kinda like asking the rabbi at bar mitzvah where to get a slice of ham.....

Even a single joint has a maximum penalty of 10 years of hard labour. That's not to be taken lightly. Please don't assume either that you would never get the maximum sentence, as every now and again, Japan has a well-established record of making an example out of someone for the betterment of society.....

From first-hand experience of having a friend locked up for being caught with weed (about an ounce for those of you who know how much that is), and visiting him in prison and helping him after he got out... let me tell you -- it ain't pretty.

Don't do it here. Don't think about doing it here. I don't care what your morals say about whether it SHOULD be legal or not, but the laws here are unlikely to change anytime soon.

Here is an excerpt from the U.S. gov't Dept of State website that issues travel advisories... http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1148.html

ILLEGAL DRUGS: Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Japan are strict, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and fines. In most drug cases, suspects are usually detained incommunicado, which bars them from receiving visitors or corresponding with anyone other than a lawyer or U.S. consular officer until after indictment, which may take as long as several months. Solitary confinement is common.

People can be convicted of drug use based on positive blood or urine tests alone, and multiple Americans are now serving time in Japanese prisons as the result of sting operations and the use of informers. The Japanese police routinely share information on drug arrests with Interpol, assuring that notice of the arrest will reach U.S. law enforcement agencies. About half of all Americans now in prison in Japan are incarcerated for drug-related crimes.

Japanese authorities aggressively pursue drug smugglers with sophisticated detection equipment, "sniffing" dogs and other methods. Travelers and their luggage entering Japan are screened at ports of entry; incoming and outgoing mail, as well as international packages sent via DHL or FEDEX, is also checked carefully. The Japanese police make arrests for even the smallest amounts of illegal drugs. Several Americans are now in custody after having mailed illegal drugs to themselves from other countries. Other Americans are serving time for having tried to bring drugs into Japan as paid couriers working out of Southeast Asia or Europe.

And that is all true... Just ask Paul McCartney. http://www.taima.org/en/hemplib3.htm

[guest of Japan]

I thought Taikibansei was funny too.

[PAULH]

You guys hear about the Nick Baker case?

"Innocent" Brit is doing hard time in Japan for drug smuggling.

http://www.phaseloop.com/foreignprisoners/prison-japan01.html

[ntropy]

I'm not moralistic and I don't care what anyone puts into or does with their own body.

Do know this. If caught, you will do hard jail time. And I mean HARD. No use whining about if it's right or wrong. It's the fact.

Take that into account.

[Gordon]

Funny post Taikibansei. I think Canadians and West Coast Americans have a pretty liberal view on drugs and marijuana in particular. What might be accepted at home is NOT here.
I too would not want to see the inside of a Japanese prison.