Cannabis Use Grows in Japan but Stoner Comedy Anime Remains Unlikely
The piece clarifies that cultural visibility and market viability are separate forces, and Japan's tiny base of regular users makes a weed-focused anime a commercial nonstarter despite growing product sales.
Key Facts
- Cannabis product sales in Japan grew sixfold from 2019 to 2023.
- Arrests for cannabis in Japan surpassed stimulant arrests for the first time in 2023.
- Only 1.8 percent of people in Japan have ever tried cannabis, compared to 44.2 percent in the United States.
- Anime series like Samurai Champloo and Sarazanmai have included marijuana use, but no full stoner comedy anime exists.
- Japanese government anti-marijuana campaigns have used characters from Kamen Rider and Ace Attorney.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime Herald.
Anime Herald examines the gap between rising cannabis culture in Japan and its sparse depiction in anime. The market for cannabis products has expanded rapidly, and pot-related arrests recently surpassed stimulant arrests. Yet actual marijuana use remains low, with only 1.8 percent of the population having tried it. While some anime have featured marijuana, a dedicated stoner comedy faces an audience too small to support production.
Anime Herald published a feature on April 20 asking why cannabis, increasingly visible in Japanese music and CBD markets, rarely anchors an anime series. The report notes that cannabis product sales grew sixfold from 2019 to 2023, and arrests for pot surpassed stimulant arrests for the first time in 2023. Artists like NAMEDAMURA and nana openly reference weed in their music. Still, only 1.8 percent of people in Japan have ever tried cannabis, compared to 44.2 percent in the United States. Shows like Samurai Champloo and Sarazanmai have included marijuana use, but the domestic audience for a full stoner comedy is too small to justify production. Government anti-marijuana campaigns using characters from Kamen Rider and Ace Attorney add another layer of resistance.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime Herald 4/20: Where is Weed in Anime?