stripper on coke 0 Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 yeah, kind of....I doubt we'll ever see the day where we can walk into a 'drug store' and walk out with a kilo (or a gram) of coke or smack.... I am talking along the lines of what Toque mentioned. It would clean up the whole drug environment i.e, safer and cleaner doses of drugs (less overdoses - saves govts money in the long run, and keeps voters alive - we are always being told how important the voter is, right ?). Why not give out clean needles to people who shoot up ? I know in some places, (not sure about Japan?), this is the caes. This saves the spreading of disease through sharing needles. This would also save a lot of problems for the doctors and hospitals around the world who are fighting against such diseases. I know regulating the drug trade is not going to fix too many of the problems we have in the world today, in fact, it may even add to them. I just think the authorities are going about this problem all wrong. Besides that, their present approach is not exactly setting the world on fire with results, is it ? Perhaps I think too much like a hippy, but I just think it is wrong to send an adult to jail for putting something up there nose, or talking a big deep inhalation......afterall, isn't that really freedom of choice ? ? ? ? To finish off, Bill Hicks says some very unique things about drugs. One such rant is along the lines of , "....if you don't believe drugs have done good things for our society, go home and take all of your favourite music, the music that has given so many people so much enjoyment, music by greats such as the beatles, rolling stones, jimmy hendrix, the doors, , jenis joplin,....tekno and electronic music, jazz and the blues,.........all of your favourite stuff, and throw it out. Burn it - get rid of it! Why ? Because the people who made that music, all of your favourite songs, the same music that made generations dance and laugh, those people, maaannnn, when they made that music they were real f_c_i_g high on drugs!!!!" Not sure if the above is true in relation to j-pop...ha ha Link to post Share on other sites
Roger's head 0 Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 Well. I've been to Roppongi more than a few times and never seen any. Not looking for any, so maybe thats got something to do with it. Link to post Share on other sites
Telleboy 0 Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 went for my first trip to rappongi last summer, saw a head shop,thought Id check it out,HOLD THE PHONES! theyre still selling mushys in there.Thought theyre illegal? been goin back since. Link to post Share on other sites
stripper on coke 0 Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 a word of warning telleboy, too many of my friends have been followed home or searched on the street after coming out of either that shop in Roppongi, or some of the other pipe/hemp/head shops around town. Sometimes they were only buying papers/skins. Sometimes the police come a knockin' a few days later......personally, I try not to even look in the window of those shops. But yeah, you're right, mushrooms are illegal now, although it is not illegal to buy the mushroom pours or seeds or whatever you call them. I don't know what happens if you then grow them at home.... Apparently you can even buy seeds for pot - super skunk, northern lights, etc. at these same shops, but for sure, 100%, weed is illegal here too ! You can buy big bags of cannabis seeds at pet shops as well, it is used to feed birds.......I think the seeds are mostly of the non-thc producing variety though. Link to post Share on other sites
Davo 1 Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 If the police knocked on my door they'd better have a better reason than they saw me going into a retail shop. Sounds a bit paranoid to me Stripper. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Quote: Sounds a bit paranoid to me Well we are in Japan Link to post Share on other sites
stripper on coke 0 Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 as paranoid as it sounds, going into those shops has cost some friends of mine dearly ! What can I say.......I guess I can't prove to you my friends had to go to prison, but, do you really think I would make it up ??? Anyway, for what it's worth, there is NO WAY in heaven, hell or on earth you will get me into one of those shops......I know, plenty of people DO shop there without any trouble, just not me, that's all I'm trying to say........ Perhaps the situation has improved more recently. The friends I'm talking about had this happen to them over a period of a couple of years, a few years ago. As I said, I haven't been in one of those shops since. Link to post Share on other sites
joshnii 2 Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 So - which shops we talking about then? Link to post Share on other sites
stripper on coke 0 Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 well, there is the head shop in Roppongi, just up from Paddy Foley's/Macdonald's on the main drag. There used to be 2 bong shops in Nishi-Azabu, not sure if they are still there, I think they are. Friends have been stopped after coming out of all 3 of these shops. There is also a head shop in Shibuya, backside, near Tokyu Hands. And a friend was pulled over in his car after buying rollng papers from a cigarette machine on Meiji Dori, not too far from the station. The police searched his car for about 30 mins on the side of the road. I think there are a couple of similar shops near/around shinjuku and Ikebukuro as well.... Link to post Share on other sites
Davo 1 Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Fair enough to be paranoid then I guess and I don't know anything about Tokyo either. Never did think it would be a good idea to go into one of those places with a stash, just in case what you described happened. What a waste of police time and taxpayers money, just rediculous. Meanwhile the substances which cause the most harm to public health and social harmony are available 24/7 legally. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 I had a friend growing pot at home,(between us) but I don't smoke weed and nothing interesting for me. I don't know why police can't find it. He buys seeds at those shops in Shibuya and always bringing weed in his pocket. I tried hemp curry and beer the other day, the taste was sooooo bad, are they illegal? Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 I sometimes visited my local head shop in Suwa which was two blocks from the police headquarters. The shop sold mushrooms when they were legal and had a variety of poppers and dodgy-looking non-THC 'weed' mixes, besides a range of bongs. Seeing as they were neighbours, I asked the owner if he ever had trouble with the police. He said "They come in every few weeks and warn me, but there's nothing they can do." (Laughs) I would have thought frequent warnings when you're not committing any offense at all amounts to unlawful harrassment. Link to post Share on other sites
stripper on coke 0 Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 to be honest, police probably spent more time harrassing legit folks then they spend chasing real criminals. In how many other countries of the world is a foriegner stopped while riding a bicycle by one of the infinate number of police officers standing idly by almost every corner on the street (besides Indo...), just because they are a foriegner riding a bicycle....... Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by stripper on coke: to be honest, police probably spent more time harrassing legit folks then they spend chasing real criminals. In how many other countries of the world is a foriegner stopped while riding a bicycle by one of the infinate number of police officers standing idly by almost every corner on the street (besides Indo...), just because they are a foriegner riding a bicycle....... It's not only happen to gaijins, my friend was chased by 2police officers. One of them couldn't catch up with her since she was riding bicycle too fast. They thought she was a man stole bicycle somewhere. But it was a woman! She was sooooo angry about that. She is nice, much stronger than me!! Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 What about Kansai? Any random checks of foreigners going on here? And, what do these checks pertain to? Checking your alien card? Surely they cant check your posessions on you without some probable cause, RIGHT? What about cops paying you a visit at your house once youve registered with the shiyakusho? A few of my mates here have been visited over the years by a few policemen double checking that they are who they say they are. If I ever got stopped by a cop here I think Id have to say: 警察官職務執行法律に因りますと、挙動不審者だ 369;に職務質問する事が出来ます。すみませんが、具 体的にどんな不審な行動をしてますか？ For all you mad tokers out there I have seen police dogs at the following places, Shin Kobe, Shin Osaka, Hiroshima Eki, Nagarekawa, America Mura, and Kita Umeda (is that the name of the drinkin district close to Umeda?) with in the last month. Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 If you have absolutely nothing to be guilty about, is there a big problem? Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 Ski, The problem is a lot of the time its just discrimination - because you are a foreigner. Cops can search me and come to my house all they want. Ive got nothing to hide. In a way its not much different than the attitude of cops towards black people. Oh no, hes black, he must have a gun... Oh, foreigner, yabai, he must be breaking the law Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 Fair enough. I've never had a problem or even a hint of one. I just think some people make the problems for themselves or behave in ways that bring this sort of thing. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 Eight years in Japan and the only time I've been stopped by police was when riding to Umeda whilst dinking two others. They just told the others to dismount, and that was that. All mama-chari riders get randomly checked in Japan, probably due to Japan having the highest level of bike theft in the world. Ride an il-fitting one and the chances increase. Foreigners do love to think they're being victimized if they are stopped, however. As for indisciminate searches, etc, it does sound more 'behaviour' related than because one is a foreigner. I wonder how many suited 'n booted foreigners recieve anything but respect from the police. In a society where image is everything, scruffy or 'new age' foreigners probably cause suspicion in the same way the police would be suspicious of Japanese presented as such (and of which also happens in the west). Coming out of a head shop, buying rizlas, if I were the police, that's what i'd be looking for. And how wrong are they? It sounds like at least some of the 'harrassed' foreigners here have something to hide, so the police must've got something right... For the record, I think drugs should be fully-legal and available to anyone over 18, and I also think it's wrong to harrass people over lifestyle choices. My point is simply that many foreigners are harrassed not because they are foreigners, but because of the lifestyle image they portray. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by miteyak: In a society where image is everything, scruffy or 'new age' foreigners probably cause suspicion in the same way the police would be suspicious of Japanese presented as such (and of which also happens in the west). Coming out of a head shop, buying rizlas, if I were the police, that's what i'd be looking for. Wow. You would make such a good cop Just cause somebody dresses a certain way doesn't mean they have something to hide. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 I was projecting... (did you miss the disclaimer) Having been a victim of that kind of discrimination in the UK, I can attest to it's universality... Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 I wonder if I should leave my bong at home... My 2 footers getting to be too conspicuous when obaa chans ask me what flowers Im gonna put in the vase and cops do a double take Hmmm, previous post was edited eh? Good question... Link to post Share on other sites
Goemon 0 Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 I put a lamp shade on a 5 footer several times to walk it across campus. I don't think I'd do that in Japan though. Link to post Share on other sites
Dims 0 Posted July 2, 2004 Share Posted July 2, 2004 And Joni finally gets locked up. The end of an era! (refer to my initial e-mails in this thread) Link to post Share on other sites
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