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July 12, 2026
 

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DRUGS

A record high of 804 people were arrested for possession of cocaine in 2025, up from around 160 in 2021, according to the National Police Agency.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 6, 2026
Number of people who have tried cocaine reaches new high in Japan, study shows
Those found in possession of the drug also hit a record high of 804 arrests in 2025, according to the National Police Agency.
Two suspects, a Thai man (center) and his Laotian wife (not pictured), suspected of sending drug parcels from a border province to Bangkok, are escorted by officials to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board in Bangkok on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Jul 5, 2026
How drug gangs use social media to recruit Thai air crew as couriers
Early in the morning on June 18, a message from an unknown account slipped into the TikTok inbox of a flight attendant in Bangkok with a series of questions: “Are you flying to Australia? Do ​you do carry-for-hire? What is your rate?”
In 2025, people in their 20s and younger accounted for more than 70% of all cannabis-related police action.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 3, 2026
Cannabis use grows among young people in Japan, especially in Tokyo
Tokyo recorded the highest number of cannabis-related cases among all prefectures in 2025, with 1,139 people processed by the MPD.
Starting in June, the health ministry will ban the manufacturing, sale, possession and use of the cannabis-derived compound cannabinol (CBN).
JAPAN
May 31, 2026
Japan to ban cannabis ingredient CBN from June
The ministry will regulate CBN as a designated drug under the pharmaceutical and medical devices law through a revision of a relevant ordinance.
Executives of the Japan Volleyball Association bow in apology during a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday following the arrest of Shunichiro Sato, a member of the national volleyball team, on suspicion of cannabis possession.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 29, 2026
Japan national volleyball player arrested over suspected cannabis possession
Police allege that Shunichiro Sato, 26, had dried cannabis in his possession at a pachinko pinball parlor in Tokyo’s Itabashi Ward on Wednesday afternoon.
Viranchi Shah, spokesperson for India's Drug Manufacturers' Association, the largest industry body of Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers, speaks during an interview in Ahmedabad, India.
BUSINESS
May 21, 2026
Indian pharma fuels Africa’s ‘zombie drug’ and opioid crisis
Customs records show millions of dollars’ worth of the high-strength synthetic opioid being shipped from India every month to Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Ghana.
A 2024 survey on high school students found that roughly 1 in 70 reported having misused over-the-counter drugs in the past year.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 27, 2026
Japan to tighten rules on OTC drug sales to curb misuse among youth
Cases of acute poisoning and addiction to medication have surged since the COVID-19 pandemic, often involving easily accessible drugs sold at drugstores.
Mary Anne Blanton holds a photograph of her mother, Tammy Blanton, who died of opioid use, in Peoria, Arizona, on April 15.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 27, 2026
After waiting years for justice, Purdue opioid victims are defeated — by paperwork
Purdue’s long, grinding bankruptcy wound up creating daunting hurdles for many trying to qualify for the company’s compensation.
U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on Saturday.
WORLD / Science & Health
Apr 19, 2026
Trump signs order to accelerate access to psychedelic drug treatments
The order instructs the authorities to expedite the review of drugs such as ibogaine, which U.S. military veteran groups ​have said can help treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
Former Suntory Chairman Takeshi Niinami is suspected of importing supplements containing THC, a component of cannabis, from the U.S.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 16, 2026
Ex-Suntory chairman referred to prosecutors in narcotics case
Takeshi Niinami is suspected of importing supplements containing THC, a component of cannabis, from the U.S.
Bags containing methamphetamine within a shipping container. A 53-year-old Pakistani used-car dealer has been arrested by Tokyo police on suspicion of concealing stimulants in 18 of 742 bags of white powder used as a cosmetic that were found in a container from the United Arab Emirates.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 7, 2026
Pakistani man arrested on suspicion of smuggling 270kg of stimulants into Japan
The 53-year-old Pakistani used-car dealer has been detained with five others for alleged smuggling the drugs, worth about ¥14.3 billion, from the United Arab Emirates.
Members of Japanese organized gangs made up around 15% of those arrested for selling cannabis and 22% of those cultivating it.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 3, 2026
Arrests over marijuana use hit record high in Japan
The figure of 6,832 has more than doubled from 2017, when it was 3,008.
Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Court House in New York City on Thursday, in this courtroom sketch.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Mar 27, 2026
Maduro appears in court to fight narco-terrorism case
Prosecutors claim the ousted Venezuelan leader, who was seized by the U.S. military on Jan. 3, played a key role in a conspiracy to traffic cocaine into the U.S.
Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Manhattan, New York, on Jan. 5 in this courtroom sketch.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Mar 26, 2026
Maduro case to test U.S. narcoterrorism law with limited trial success
The 2006 statute at issue has produced just four trial convictions, a review of federal court records shows.
CBN cookies at a store in Shibuya on Thursday
JAPAN / Society
Mar 19, 2026
Consumer products containing cannabis-derived CBN to be banned starting June
Under the revised ordinance, only patients with specific conditions, such as intractable diseases with no alternative treatment, will be allowed to use them.
U.S. President Donald Trump smiles as he holds the "Commitment to countering cartel criminal activity" document during the Shield of the Americas Summit in Miami on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 8, 2026
Trump offers Latin American leaders U.S. missile strikes to hit drug cartels
Trump has staked bold claims in Latin America with the ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and working with his replacement to claim Venezuelan oil reserves for the U.S.
Takeshi Ebisawa, a member of a yakuza crime group, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a New York court on Tuesday after being convicted of trafficking nuclear material, drugs and weapons.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 4, 2026
U.S. court convicts Japanese man of trafficking nuclear material
Takeshi Ebisawa, 61, pleaded guilty to a total of six charges in January 2025.
A FIFA World Cup trophy is displayed at the Akron Stadium, where it arrived as the second part of its tour in Zapopan, Mexico, on Saturday.
SOCCER / World cup
Mar 1, 2026
Mexican fans enjoy brief respite from violence as they gaze at World Cup trophy
The capture and death of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, the country’s most wanted drug lord, on Sunday led to violent incidents, including vehicle and business arson.
Regarding how people under age 20 became involved in <i>tokuryū</i>-related crimes, 26.7% said they joined through social media, according to the National Police Agency.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 26, 2026
Police took action against 1,322 young people linked to tokuryū cases last year
A National Policy Agency official said it seemed those behind such groups gave roles with high risks of being caught to people under 20, “effectively treating them as disposable.”
Carp infielder Ryutaro Hatsuki makes a hit against the BayStars at Yokohama Stadium on June 25, 2022.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Feb 25, 2026
Hiroshima Carp terminate contract with infielder Hatsuki for drug use
“After confirming the facts, we terminated the contract on Tuesday as we take the matter extremely seriously,” the team said in a statement.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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