Big in Japan: Home to the best homegrown

by Matthew Firestone on

Let’s be ‘blunt’ for a moment…

While Gadling does not in any capacity promote the smoking of copious amounts of ganja, a good number of us know that sometimes you need a little toke of Mother Nature’s sweet, sweet herb to get you through day.

Of course, wrapping your salivating lips around a hand-blown glass water pipe packed to the brim with Pineapple Express is something of a difficult proposition in Japan, especially since there are some incredibly Draconian drug laws on the books here.

While a good number of people in North America and Europe tend to have a relaxed attitude towards smoking a bit of reefer from time to time, the Japanese are extremely averse to drugs of any kind.

Indeed, all of us resident foreigners here in Japan are used to hearing that drug use is something of ‘Western problem.’

Or so we were led to believe (^_^)

According to a recent report by the Associated Press (AP), it seems that a good number of Japanese have been tuning in and dropping out, thanks to the easy availability of marijuana seeds on the Internet for home cultivation.

Ah so! The plot begins to thicken…

According to a public report that was recently released by the Japanese National Police Agency, the number of marijuana cases in the first half of the year rose 12 percent from the same period last year to 1,202. If this rate of increase continues, the number of cases will reach an all-time high this year, passing the 2,288 recorded in 2006.

Compared to amphetamines and other synthetic stimulants such as ecstasy, marijuana police cases are still very, very low, especially in comparison to other countries. However, police are attributing the rise in marijuana toking to the increasing prevalence of Japanese homegrown.

In the immortal words of the rapper Styles P: ‘I don’t smoke the weed if it ain’t purple or blue.’

So what’s the loophole? Good question.

While Japanese law doesn’t exactly make for light reading, the gist is that people are prohibited from growing or possessing marijuana for recreational drug use, though seeds are excluded from the law. Capitalizing on this ambiguity, Japanese web sites are quick to state that they are selling marijuana seeds ‘only for research, food or collecting.’

Yummy. I loves me some pot seed brownies…

In a country consumed by fickle trends and fads, it seems that Japan as of recent may be suffering from a bit of reefer madness.

Last month, a government worker was arrested after police raided his personal marijuana greenhouse in western Japan. In May, customs officers at Tokyo Narita International Airport misplaced US$10,000 worth of hash after it had been slipped illegally into a random traveler’s luggage in a failed attempt to test the noses of the canine sniffers.

And…let’s not forget about all those Harajuku girls decked out from head to toe in hemp-based fabrics, which have a long history in Japan as traditional clothing.

In the immortal words of Jon Stewart, the enhancement smoker from the movie Half Baked: ‘Have you ever seen (Japan)….on weed?! That’s the way to see it. It’s just wacked.’

** All images courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project, and NOT from my non-existent personal collection of homegrown herb and associated paraphernalia **

Big in Japan: Notable quotables from Japan’s next prime minister

by Matthew Firestone on

Think that the politicians in your country make ridiculous statements?

The tabloids here in Japan are buzzing this week following the latest verbal gaffe by Taro Aso, the Secretary-General of the ruling party. Believed by many to be Japan’s next Prime Minster, Mr. Aso recently offended pretty much everybody by likening the main opposition party to a bunch of Nazis.

During talks with the opposition, an MP stated that the Japanese electorate was shifting its support away from the governing party. Apparently, this impending reality was a bit much for Mr. Aso to handle, who replied by saying that when people move away from the party of the government, regimes like the Nazis come to power.

Wow.

Needless to say, people aren’t very impressed at the moment with Mr. Aso, though it’s likely that this little scandal will blow over in good time. After all, this isn’t exactly the first ridiculous public statement made by the future Japanese Prime Minister.

What else has the colorful Mr. Aso said over the years?

Today’s somewhat politically leaning blog presents a concise little list of notable quotables.

Taro Aso (麻生太郎), the Secretary General of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, is quite the character. An academic by training who holds degrees from both Stanford and the London School of Economics, Mr. Aso has held a number of controversial jobs over the years. He once ran a diamond mining operation in Sierra Leone before the civil war forced him to flee, as well as a Japanese cement company that allegedly indulged in forced labor during WWII.

With that said, perhaps the following comments aren’t that shocking given his illustrious background.

– While serving as economics minister, Mr. Aso was quoted as saying he wanted to make Japan a country where “rich Jews” would like to live.

– Mr. Aso once praised Japan for having “one nation, one civilization, one language, one culture and one race.”

– When asked once about compulsory Japanese language education during the colonization of Taiwan, Mr. Aso declared “our predecessors did a good thing.”

– When describing China, Mr. Aso was quick to declare that the country was “a neighbor with one billion people equipped with nuclear bombs that has expanded its military outlays by double digits for 17 years in a row. It is beginning to be a considerable threat.”

– When referring to a Japanese peace initiative on the Middle East, Mr. Aso proudly stated the following: “The Japanese are trusted because they have yellow faces and slanted eyes, and have never been involved in exploitation there, or been involved in fights or fired machine guns. Japan is doing what the Americans can’t do. It would probably be no good to have blue eyes and blond hair.”

Eek.

Well, I guess there is good reason why most Japanese people are happy to remain apathetic about their country’s politics. With election fever sweeping across the States, perhaps both sides of the American divide have reason enough to be confident in their candidates.

** All images courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project **

Big in Japan: How to take a bath without losing your honor

by Matthew Firestone on

As I’ve said before, summer is in full effect here in Tokyo, which means that the temperature is soaring and the humidity is saturating. And, if your glands are anywhere near as prolific as mine are, this means that you’re probably sweating through pretty much everything that you’re wearing.

The Japanese are renowned for their admirable attention to hygiene and cleanliness, which presents a bit of a problem if your BO starts to act up in the long summers. While successive applications of a strong deodorant are certainly good measures to take before stepping on the subway, there is a uniquely Japanese way to stay so fresh and so clean.

Scattered throughout Tokyo are a good number of sent? (????), which are public and communal bath houses that you can seek refuge in if your sweat starts stink. Of course, taking a bath in Japan is a bit different than your home country, though fortunately it’s not too difficult to scrub down without losing your honor.

On that note, today’s posting is a quick and dirty (er, clean) guide to taking a bath the Japanese way…

As you might imagine, the most difficult part of taking a bath in Japan is sometimes finding a sentō, especially if you don’t read or speak Japanese. Fortunately for lost foreigners, bath houses are usually marked by a curtain containing the kanji 湯 (yu, hot water), or the corresponding hiragana, ゆ.

Once inside, remove your shoes and place them in the locker before paying your admission fee. Public sentōs usually cost only a few dollars, though you might have to pay a bit more to rent a ‘modesty towel’ as well as some soap, shampoo and conditioner.

After paying, keep in mind that bath houses are divided into male and female quarters, so be sure to choose the right side. Again, if you can’t read or speak Japanese, a good indicator is the color of the curtain marking each entrance: blue is for guys, pink is for gals.

The next room you enter will be a changing room, where you should strip down completely. While spas in the West allow you to wear a bathing suit, in Japan the preferred costume is your birthday suit. If you’re feeling a bit shy, the previously mentioned modesty towel is usually big enough to cover your sensitive bits and pieces.

From here, it’s time to enter the bathing area, though don’t lose your honor by jumping straight into the pool. On the contrary, you need to scrub down everything (and I mean everything) at the line of shower stalls along the wall. The principle idea here is that you will be completely clean before entering the bath water, so when in doubt, keep scrubbing.

Once you’re sufficiently clean, and you’ve removed all of the soap (this is important!), you can now enter the bath water. Generally speaking, it’s considered bad form to dunk your head, enter the tub with your modesty towel or wash yourself vigorously in the bath. However, assuming you avoid these pitfalls, you can pretty much sprawl out and soak your cares away.

While you can stay as long as you’d like, a good hour or two is generally enough time to give yourself a good cleaning. On the way out, be sure to top up with a bottle of ice cold green tea, or if it’s a bit later in the day, a frothy pint of draft beer. And, while there is a good chance that you’ll start to sweat immediately upon leaving the onsen, at least you’ve washed away any potentially offending bacteria.

** All images courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project **

Big in Japan: The best Japanese summer food & drink

by Matthew Firestone on

After several long weeks on the road in East Africa, Big in Japan is back once more, bringing you weird, wacky and wonderful news from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Summer is in full effect here in Tokyo, which means that the temperature is soaring and the humidity is saturating.

Fortunately, the Japanese have a number of culinary treats that are perfect for beating the heat and staying nourished during their tropical summers. While tumblers of hot sake and steamy bowls of ramen are great for warming up during the winter months, it’s time to add a few more dishes to your culinary lexicon.

So, without further adieu, today’s post is all about the best Japanese summer food & drink…

Sōmen (素麺) You know it’s summer in Japan when the shops start serving these thin, white noodles made of wheat flour. While heavier noodle soups can slow you down in the summer heat, sōmen sit light in the belly, and are simply dressed up with a lightly flavored dipping sauce. Special variations of sōmen are made with powdered tea, and can easily be identified by their light green color.

Zaru-soba (ざるそば) Soba noodles are delicious when served in a hot fishy broth, but they’re just as divine when served ice cold on a bamboo plate known as a zaru. Made principally of buckwheat, soba noodles are high in fiber, and typically garnished with shredded bits of seaweed. Like sōmen, soba noodles are served with a light dipping sauce made of sweetened soy and mirin cooking wine.

Unagi (うなぎ) Nothing says summer more than charcoal-roasted freshwater eel, which is reported to give you the strength and virility you need to get through the long, hot days. While unagi can be a seriously gourmet fare, locals swear by the bento boxes from the convenience stores, which are perfectly-packaged for a picnic in the park. Best served with a dash of ground white pepper, good unagi has a soft texture and a complex taste.

Jasmine Tea (ジャスミン茶) The Japanese are devoted tea drinkers, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they have a specialty summer brew. Jasmine tea, which is served ice-cold and unsweetened, is a fragrant beverage that is light, fruity and low in acidity. You can buy pre-packaged bottles in any of Japan’s million or so vending machines.

Draft Beer (生ビール) Summer in Japan is punctuated by a number of outdoor festivals, ranging from huge open air rock concerts to fireworks along the riverside. At any of these events, sample a few frothy pints of nama-biiru, which is a wonderfully alcoholic way to stay cool. Of course, the tropical sun can seriously ruin your day, so don’t forget to stay hydrated as passing out in the public eye isn’t the most honorable way to go.

Bon appetit, or as they say in Japanese, ittadakimasu.

** All images courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project **

Japanese company reaching out to socially awkward young males

by Aaron Hotfelder on

A Japanese company named Avex has discovered a novel way to serve the needs of some of its younger, socially withdrawn customers. The company has recently produced a new DVD designed to help these so-called hikikimori become more comfortable around young women.

The DVD is called Miteiru dake, or “Just Looking,” and features attractive young Japanese women simply staring straight ahead, occasionally blinking or saying something like “Good Morning.” The idea of the DVDs, according to one article, is “to get young males who aren’t used to socializing with women to become more accustomed to making eye contact and/or handle the fact that a sentient being sits across from them and awaits interaction. The DVD hopes to cure those afflicted with shyness so that they may rejoin society.”

So do these videos actually work? Who knows– but they sure are popular. The Japanese staring goddess known as Magibon has made similar videos and become a Youtube sensation. This video alone has been viewed over three million times.

It seems the vast majority of the over 21,000 comments the video has received are variations on the same thing: “I don’t get it.”

Neither do I.