Toyko

Law Enforcement

It felt as though Tokyo police were everywhere. Some people claimed that you could refuse a search or a request to see your passport and walk away unless you were handcuffed. They worried that driving gave officers a plate number and preferred to walk, take a taxi or ride the subway. Those weren’t reliable rules about police powers.

Some foreigners felt singled out, particularly if they looked white. There was talk of strict treatment and being treated as “guilty until proven innocent.” I’d heard about a big bust in Shibuya a week earlier.

Where to Buy Marijuana

Shibuya felt increasingly sketchy. Near the jewelry shop across from Sakuraya, people still offered hash or weed for ¥4,000–5,000. They might take a phone number and call with a meeting point. Police were watching and people kept getting caught. “Get the fuck out of Shibuya” was the advice once the deal was done.

Ebisu felt safer to some people. Roppongi club contacts sometimes asked ¥5,000–6,000, but there were cops around all night. You couldn’t assume a stranger would be comfortable being asked. Hash or brick was easier to find than flower, and headshops were widespread.

Kingston Bar in Roppongi came up too. The tip then was to ask the woman working there. “Don’t buy anything in the street!”

Look at what’s in the bag. There could be filler. In Tokyo it was easier to build a list of numbers to call than to rely on street offers.

Marijuana Prices

Prices depended heavily on who you knew:

• Good hydro: ¥4,000–7,000 per gram.
• Ordinary weed: ¥3,000–5,500 per gram.
• Hash: around ¥5,000, although that particular quotation did not clearly specify the amount.

In Roppongi I saw ¥6,000–7,000 at first, then ¥4,000–5,000 once I knew somebody. Four or five grams might get a small discount and mean fewer trips. Familiar contacts also meant cheaper hash or better quality.

Types of Marijuana

There was local weed and expensive imported pot said to be from Amsterdam. The first bag could be old weed with no smell and a bitter aftertaste. “Give me a good one, man” was worth a try.

Go back a few times and, if they like you, it can get a whole lot better. You’re never sure. Sometimes you’re unlucky, sometimes you thank God for the weed he granted you.

More Information

“Don’t smoke in public. Just don’t.” Tokyo felt like somebody was always watching. Side streets full of salarymen were quieter, but people still tried to hide the shape of a joint. Parks had guards, and some people rolled cigarette-sized joints. Don’t carry weed to a headshop. Police sometimes waited outside and searched people.

“Buying weed in Tokyo is possible. But it’s expensive and very risky.” You had to be a REAL smoker to get past the prices and paranoia.