Ex Wakakirin at it again

[Kintamayama 47,288]

Ex Wakakirin (Mr. Suzukawa) who was kicked out of sumo in 2009 for drug abuse was arrested at the Ikebukuro train station for possession of cannabis. A police officer felt suspicious of his behavior at the station three days ago and asked him what he was doing there. Suzukawa tried to get rid of a cannabis grinder, saying it wasn’t his,  whereupon he was arrested for possession as well.

Edited March 11, 2021 by Kintamayama

[Jakusotsu 6,399]

You're right, that doesn't really belong to "Former rikishi activities".

[Kintamayama 47,288]

4 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

You're right, that doesn't really belong to "Former rikishi activities".

Someone else already posted this in off-topic.. Since he got kicked out for the same reason while active, I thought it was a direct continuation of his activities as a drug dealer.

[Yamanashi 4,083]

2 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

Someone else already posted this in off-topic.. Since he got kicked out for the same reason while active, I thought it was a direct continuation of his activities as a drug dealer.

Irrespective of one's feelings about the legal status, cannabis/marijuana laws in many countries are such that this Wakakirin story seems ... quaint.

[Kintamayama 47,288]

1 hour ago, Yamanashi said:

Irrespective of one's feelings about the legal status, cannabis/marijuana laws in many countries are such that this Wakakirin story seems ... quaint.

But not in Japan, though. Serious business, this drug thing.

[rhyen 1,858]

14 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

But not in Japan, though. Serious business, this drug thing.

Even though marijuana/hemp/cannabis is used to make that huge rope in the Izumo Taisha shrine?

[pricklypomegranate 730]

28 minutes ago, rhyen said:

Even though marijuana/hemp/cannabis is used to make that huge rope in the Izumo Taisha shrine?

And Araiso selling that hemp drink or something? 

[Kintamayama 47,288]

38 minutes ago, rhyen said:

Even though marijuana/hemp/cannabis is used to make that huge rope in the Izumo Taisha shrine?

Yes.

Edited March 12, 2021 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 47,288]

9 minutes ago, pricklypomegranate said:

And Araiso selling that hemp drink or something? 

Yes.

Edited March 12, 2021 by Kintamayama

[pricklypomegranate 730]

10 minutes ago, Kintamayama said:

Yes.

Hey, don’t need to justify being arrested for weed to me. Would be impossible for one to get even a hemp based drink or rope here. Have enough of it and it’s a death sentence. but the hemp drink certainly is rather odd... 

Edited March 12, 2021 by pricklypomegranate

[hakutorizakura 688]

Maybe if you managed to get the rope it's all legal. Clearly not the case for the guy in question 

[dada78641 884]

On 11/03/2021 at 23:03, Kintamayama said:

But not in Japan, though. Serious business, this drug thing.

This reminds me of one time (about a year before the pandemic started) I met a toshiyori at a coffee place and had a nice conversation with him. I'm friends with the owner of the place, and she mentioned he comes by often, so knowing I'm a big sumo fan she set up a small impromptu meeting. I'll leave aside who it was for his privacy.

I mentioned being from the Netherlands and he eventually started talking about how cannabis is legal here and how it's less bad for you than alcohol. He had a very progressive view on it. I mentioned that one of the nice things is you don't really get hangovers with it. I thought it was a great conversation but the kissaten owner said she was a "little... surprised (haha...)" by the conversation

It is serious business though, like you say, it's illegal and you will be punished harshly for it. That said most people I personally know (my age, millennials, living mostly in Tokyo) have a pretty progressive personal view on it.

[cyclonicleo 19]

8 hours ago, dada78641 said:

It is serious business though, like you say, it's illegal and you will be punished harshly for it. That said most people I personally know (my age, millennials, living mostly in Tokyo) have a pretty progressive personal view on it.

It still amazes me that Japan takes such a harsh view on cannabis but it is what it is. The views amongst the younger populace are far more progressive than the majority of their conservative elders. I have a close friend who is currently in the Japanese prison system for drug possession. Even though the amount was supposedly tiny, she's doing a 3 year sentence. 

[Tsuchinoninjin 1,291]

8 hours ago, cyclonicleo said:

It still amazes me that Japan takes such a harsh view on cannabis but it is what it is. The views amongst the younger populace are far more progressive than the majority of their conservative elders. I have a close friend who is currently in the Japanese prison system for drug possession. Even though the amount was supposedly tiny, she's doing a 3 year sentence. 

Its really all drugs. We have to do a weird dance with HR to get cleared to start doing business trips to Japan to check if any of the medicine we take is banned or listed there. Can't just hand over a list for privacy reasons... at least one of our high rank exec is in jail for bringing in some mental-health related drugs. I also had a stay in the hospital in Japan where in the US you'd get morphine for what was going on, I just got 100mg of ibuprofen. And this was double dose since I'm big foreigner, the usual is 50mg. When the pain is giving you the tunnel vision I can tell you ibuprofen doesn't do shit.

I could see things around cannabis being relaxed a little in 20 years but a lot of this mindset is much more deeply entrenched than 'reefer madness' stuff.

[Jejima 1,498]

8 hours ago, cyclonicleo said:

It still amazes me that Japan takes such a harsh view on cannabis but it is what it is. The views amongst the younger populace are far more progressive than the majority of their conservative elders. I have a close friend who is currently in the Japanese prison system for drug possession. Even though the amount was supposedly tiny, she's doing a 3 year sentence. 

As far as I recall, psychedelic mushrooms used to be legal (but not really used) in Japan until 2002, just before the Japan-South Korea World Cup took place. I think they were banned quickly, before the foreigners turned up to take advantage of their legality....

[Seiyashi 4,109]

10 hours ago, cyclonicleo said:

It still amazes me that Japan takes such a harsh view on cannabis but it is what it is. The views amongst the younger populace are far more progressive than the majority of their conservative elders. I have a close friend who is currently in the Japanese prison system for drug possession. Even though the amount was supposedly tiny, she's doing a 3 year sentence. 

I'll tell you that Japan is not the only place where drugs lands you in serious trouble, although admittedly not to the extents that Tsuchinoninjin describes (pre-clearing medication lists), and you get worse for trafficking rather than possession simpliciter. But coming from the other place where it does, what boggles me is not the attitude towards drugs but the tattoos.

[WAKATAKE 2,759]

If I didn't know any better I believe there was a Southeastern Asian country like Thailand or Malaysia where you could be executed for possession or trafficking.

[Seiyashi 4,109]

6 hours ago, WAKATAKE said:

If I didn't know any better I believe there was a Southeastern Asian country like Thailand or Malaysia where you could be executed for possession or trafficking.

I believe you're thinking of Singapore, which presumes that you are trafficking if in possession of an inordinate amount. 

[Benihana 1,972]

And then there is Duterte-country...

[cyclonicleo 19]

On 14/03/2021 at 23:06, Tsuchinoninjin said:

Its really all drugs. We have to do a weird dance with HR to get cleared to start doing business trips to Japan to check if any of the medicine we take is banned or listed there. Can't just hand over a list for privacy reasons... at least one of our high rank exec is in jail for bringing in some mental-health related drugs. I also had a stay in the hospital in Japan where in the US you'd get morphine for what was going on, I just got 100mg of ibuprofen. And this was double dose since I'm big foreigner, the usual is 50mg. When the pain is giving you the tunnel vision I can tell you ibuprofen doesn't do shit.

I could see things around cannabis being relaxed a little in 20 years but a lot of this mindset is much more deeply entrenched than 'reefer madness' stuff.

Agreed.

I've made sure to ensure that my prescription medicines aren't on the banned/restricted list before i've gone to Japan. The irony of the severe strictness in Japan is that its bred a tidy illicit drug trade that is seemingly tolerated by law enforcement - a sort of 'no harm, no foul' arrangement. In other words, don't be found to be doing anything silly and you'll be ok. Step out of line and the book is thrown at you for not respecting societal norms.

The irony is that CBD based stuff is starting to be promoted by celebrities and athletes, though I don't see that lasting very long.

[cyclonicleo 19]

On 15/03/2021 at 00:45, Seiyashi said:

I'll tell you that Japan is not the only place where drugs lands you in serious trouble, although admittedly not to the extents that Tsuchinoninjin describes (pre-clearing medication lists), and you get worse for trafficking rather than possession simpliciter. But coming from the other place where it does, what boggles me is not the attitude towards drugs but the tattoos.

Amen! Having been through several countries, like Thailand, that have very restrictive rules on drugs, I find it curious that Japan is still so afraid of tattoos. Its gradually changing, with many Japanese getting inked and not being afraid to show their tattoos, but there's still the stigma of criminality (yakuza links) to tattoos there. I've seen the stares at my arm when riding the train in Tokyo. I still can't go to an onsen though - even the ones at my hotel gave me a flat no, but I politely stated that I understood and it was fine.

[Seiyashi 4,109]

3 minutes ago, cyclonicleo said:

Amen! Having been through several countries, like Thailand, that have very restrictive rules on drugs, I find it curious that Japan is still so afraid of tattoos. Its gradually changing, with many Japanese getting inked and not being afraid to show their tattoos, but there's still the stigma of criminality (yakuza links) to tattoos there. I've seen the stares at my arm when riding the train in Tokyo. I still can't go to an onsen though - even the ones at my hotel gave me a flat no, but I politely stated that I understood and it was fine.

At the risk of oversimplifying, I think you touched on something when you mentioned social norms. It's almost as if people want clear, unambiguous indicators of societal propriety even if it has little connection to actual indicia of behaviour. Their behaviour/reactions to prostitution and affairs is quite similar too: everyone knows that while prostitution is explicitly banned, there's a thriving adult industry nonetheless, but any celebrity getting caught in an affair is persona non grata for a while as well.

Now that New Zealand has a minister with actual traditional Maori face tattoos though, I'd be interested to see what happens if said minister goes on a visit to Japan...

Edited March 21, 2021 by Seiyashi

[cyclonicleo 19]

13 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

At the risk of oversimplifying, I think you touched on something when you mentioned social norms. It's almost as if people want clear, unambiguous indicators of societal propriety even if it has little connection to actual indicia of behaviour. Their behaviour/reactions to prostitution and affairs is quite similar too: everyone knows that while prostitution is explicitly banned, there's a thriving adult industry nonetheless, but any celebrity getting caught in an affair is persona non grata for a while as well.

Now that New Zealand has a minister with actual traditional Maori face tattoos though, I'd be interested to see what happens if said minister goes on a visit to Japan...

You're spot on, IMHO. 

Japan lives and breathes by its societal norms, its intrinsic values that underpin its very essence. For Japanese that I have met, its almost a comfort blanket, a secure form of direction that gives them some reassurance. For someone to reject those norms, even in the slightest, is a shocking occurrence though that is changing as older Japanese realise that their values no longer work and that the world around them is changing. Still, things like celebrities getting busted for their indiscretions and going persona non grata is an interesting one. Its more overt in Japan (other countries like Korea take a less obvious line but its still there) and certain makes for some salacious news. 

As for the NZ Minister in question, that will be interesting to see what happens. I think the Japanese will accept it, though they will be somewhat uncomfortable, which could trigger accusations of (covert) racism as well....but I digress. 

Anyway, Wakakirin gets busted with a grinder and a little bit of pot. Simply put, don't take that on the train.

[Seiyashi 4,109]

9 minutes ago, cyclonicleo said:

Anyway, Wakakirin gets busted with a grinder and a little bit of pot. Simply put, don't take that on the train.

At the risk of being classist, and in full levity, then how's a pothead who can't drive going to get his merch home? 

[cyclonicleo 19]

14 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

At the risk of being classist, and in full levity, then how's a pothead who can't drive going to get his merch home? 

Well, if they're high enough to fly..... ;)
 

Then again, if you're that baked, in a society like Japan, don't risk it! Get a taxi instead.