by SHIGERU ASO

three fields of cannabis
five houses
eight or nine children

The above poem was written by Japan’s world famous HAIKU poet, SHIKI MASAOKA in the late 1800′s. This poem was written about SHIKI’s ideal life, which consists of the above mentioned ideas. He wished to have cannabis fields, for he loved them. He wished for five houses to live in, and finallly 8 or 9children. This is not his only poem regarding cannabis.

at the evening
always comes
a storm of cannabis

The above is another example of SHIKI’S cannabis related poem. From his many poems written about cannabis, or ASA in Japanese, it is quite obvious that SHIKI was a great admirer of pot. His poems in its original form consists of 5 syllables, 7 syllables and 5 again. This minimalistic artform is called HAIKU in Japan. This poem is apparently a scenery that SHIKI must have loved, where he stood and enjoyed the beauty of cannabis blowing in the wind.

Here is another one.

evening rain
sparrows make noise
in the cannabis fields

This poem realistically portrays a scenery of sparrows within cannabis fields during the evening rain. Simple, yet very beautiful. SHIKI also wrote the following:

so amazing
the technique of
cutting down cannabis

This poem expresses the amusement SHIKI felt while watching the cannabis plants getting cut down. This used to be quite a site before cannabis prohibition was imposed upon Japan by the United States right after World War II.  As portrayed in SHIKI’s poems, it is clear that the Japanese lived in harmony with cannabis and nature throughout history. Believe it or not, the cannabis plant grows all over Japan, even to this day. However, the government burns down almost all of these plants every year. This act is nothing short of environmental destruction. The Cannabis Control Act completely contradicts with our rich cultural history with cannabis, and cannabis cultivation. The CCA denies our traditions of whichmany include ceremonies involving cannabis in our Shinto and animistic rituals.

There are many other poets and many different artforms in Japan that involve cannabis. It is uncertain of when cannabis was brought into Japan, but it is very clear from our ancient scriptures that we worshipped the cannabis plant. The cannabis seed dates back 10000 years to the JOMON period of Japan which was discovered in ancient clay pots. Shamanism was prevelent, and we used cannabis in shamanistic rituals. It is about time we got rid of the Cannabis Control Act that imprisons thousands of people a year. This is the only way to restore our true cultural heritage and restore cannabis as a medicine. For the record, until the CCA was imposed, Japanese drugstores used to sell E.INDIAN CANNABIS TINCURE as medicine for asthma, pain relief, insomnia, etc. It is sad to admit that the Japanese Cannabis Control Act even prohibits medical merijuana, even though we have a rich history of using this godsent plant as a  way to heal ourselves physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

by Shigeru Aso

The ancient Shinto manuscript, KOJIKI, is the first book ever written in Japan. It describes the colorful world of animism, our belief system in Japan that there are spirits and gods in everything and anything in the land of the rising sun. We refer to this as YAOYOROZUNOKAMI, which lierally means 8 million gods, that we have praised and worshipped throughout history. This includes the god of cannabis, the god of wind, thunder, etc. We basically have gods and goddesses for everything, and that is embodied into the deep psyche and spirituality of the Japanese people and culture.

In this book, KOJIKI, there is a chapter called IWATOBIRAKI. This means the opening of the stone. In our mythology, AMATERASUOOMIKAMI, the sungodess hides behind a stone, and the world is covered in darkness and gloom. The other gods are freaked out by this, so they gather around the stone and they throw a big party to call the sungoddess back into the world to enlighten the land. In the end of this story, AMATERASUOOMIKAMI hears the noise of the party and gets curious as to what’s going on, and while she opens the stone and peaks through the cracks, a Japanese powerful giant pulls AMATERASUOOMIKAMI out from behind the stone. Then the land was full of sunshine once again.

For further details on KOJIKI, information on this story can be easily obtained online, or perhaps at any big city library.

As marijuana activists in Japan fight the unconstitutional Cannabis Control Act, we have used this metaphor time and time again, as a symbol of the Japanese cannabis liberation movement. The Japanese CCA was established by the General Head Quarters(GHQ) lead by Douglas McArther right after the war as an industrial solution to enrich the chemical fiber industry.

Japan has always been living with cannabis, and it was seen in our beautiful nature alongisde rice patties and in mountainous areas. At one point, during the war, our government encouraged to grow cannabis in order to make up for short supplies.

Now the fucking government burns millions and millions of cannabis plants that grow naturally throughout the land. This is nothing short of environmental terrorism, and destruction of natural resources and habitat. Besides, why burn perfectly fine weed, without inhaling it. I refer to this weed as Cannabis Japonica.

Our history is rich with Haiku’s and stories about cannabis. The emperror of Japan has a tight connection with weed as well. When the last emperror died, the government arranged for cannabis to be grown for one year in Shikoku prefecture in order to use in ceremonies for the heir apparent.

At any rate, as more and more of us declare civil disobedience to the Cannabis Control Act, we shall open the stone once again, and our land shall flourish with light and cannabis. Let’s get stoned!

by Shigeru Aso

Growing up in Japan, I never had a problem obtaining good weed. Hashish and dried cannabis are both prevelent in Japan. It grows wildly there too, believe it or not. The self defense force spends a lot of money every year erradicating this wild cannabis, burning something like a million plants a year. What a waste of money and even bigger waste of good commercial weed.

I first smoked weed when I was 14 at an International School in a decent size city in Japan. I had a son of a movie star as a roommate, and he was spoiled rotten. He introduced me to weed for the first time. He got the stuff from his mom, who was some sort of talent agent. These type of people are well known to have weed in Japan. We used to smoke out together and listen to music, giggle all night, just like any other pothead does so. 

Read more

On July 17th, 2011, a prominent doctor from Kyoto University Hospital was arrested in the Tokushima prefecture, for allegedly possessing 0.15g of cannabis during a police confrontation – the doctor went up a one way street and was questioned and searched, and they found a total of 0.15g(!) of cannabis from his dashboard and pocket.
How much is 0.15g of cannabis? Is it even enough to roll a joint? Perhaps a pinner, or maybe one good bong hit – but that’s about it. Apparently, the doctor was partying on his way to Tokushima on family vacation. The sad truth is that now he faces up to five years of Japanese prison, which is known as severely disciplined and extremely strict. Naturally he has lost his job – and even more. His name being all over the newspapers and TV, his family was disgraced as well, and one could only imagine the hardships he faces ahead.

Read more

by Shigeru Aso

Due to it’s strict laws against cannabis in general, the Japanese pot scene is deeply underground.  However, it is estimated that over one million Japanese have tried cannabis in one form or another. This is due to excessive traveling done by the Japanese throughout the world, experiencing cannabis for the first time and bringing home the practice of smoking weed. The huge reggae and hip-hop scene in Japan contributes greatly to this culture as well.

Read more