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NEWS: Kamikaze Girls Author Booked for Cannabis Possession


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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15574
PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:39 am Reply with quote
Quote:
An affidavit stated that Takemoto allegedly "began smoking cannabis overseas out of curiosity. [He] also carried it back to Japan."


The people running Pacific Media Expo should really emphasize that for publicity purposes. Wink Anyone know what the penalty is for weed possession in Japan?
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
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Location: England, UK
PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:50 am Reply with quote
Hmmm. Guess Japanese customs isn't as strict as they seem. unless he also has a yacht. If Japan's drug laws on cannabis is like the UK's he'll just get a fine and a warning.
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hikura



Joined: 21 Nov 2004
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:10 am Reply with quote
From what i have found out about the drug laws in regards to cannabis in japan that it is light.You can be given a ticket/fined and then let go.
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Unholy_Nny



Joined: 22 Jun 2005
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:12 am Reply with quote
Well, considering that his clothing line was removed from the clothing companies website, and his personal website was put on hiatus, then it's probably a bigger deal than a fine and a warning.

Even if legally it isn't that bad, what kind of social opinions regarding marijuana are there in Japan that could possibly cause that?
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Fronzel



Joined: 11 Sep 2003
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:22 am Reply with quote
.22 grams? What the heck is that, a stray leaf?
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor


Joined: 05 Jan 2002
Posts: 7912
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:39 am Reply with quote
Unholy_Nny wrote:
Well, considering that his clothing line was removed from the clothing companies website, and his personal website was put on hiatus, then it's probably a bigger deal than a fine and a warning.

Even if legally it isn't that bad, what kind of social opinions regarding marijuana are there in Japan that could possibly cause that?


For whatever reason it's a really big deal socially. The legal consequences are light but that guy's career is likely over, at least for now.

I recall something similar happening to a Japanese musician a while back; they had some pot and it basically killed their career.
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Dargonxtc



Joined: 13 Apr 2006
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:47 am Reply with quote
Well there are subtle and not so subtle hints in his works, but so are a lot of other artists and novelists.

But .22 grams? What did they do dig under his nails Laughing .(yes I know, it was in his pocket). If Whitney Houston got caught with that much they'd probably giver her a medal for cutting back and trying to quit Laughing . That is like a one hitter's worth, I mean if he was discovered on the street he must accidentally brought it out of his pocket without realizing it in front of the cop. Or he just really stunk from a recent bake session.

Just goes to show you, don't ask a cop for directions when your high. I am not saying that is what happened here, but just sayin.
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:54 am Reply with quote
Well the legal penalties might be light but the social one appear to be lot tougher if they even took his blog down. Here in the UK our Kate Moss got done for cocane abuse and she was dropped from several fashion houses and modeling contracts for it, but she went to rehab and now she's back modeling again, but that is on the other side of the planet from Japan.
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douglas2k6



Joined: 10 Sep 2006
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Location: U.S.A.
PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:23 pm Reply with quote
Wait...you're telling me that the author wasn't already smoking cannabis when he created Kamikaze Girls! Shocked
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mrsatan
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 06 Jul 2005
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:26 pm Reply with quote
Paul McCartney was sent to jail in Japan for cannabis possession.

As for this guy's career; Yoshinobu Nishizaki (unfortunately) keeps getting his Space Battleship Yamato career going every time he gets out of the slammer.
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omnistry



Joined: 03 Mar 2005
Posts: 1019
PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:56 pm Reply with quote
If Guitar Wolf was thrown in jail for drug possesion, everyone would shrug it off and go "Eh, it's Guitar Wolf. What can you do?" (AKA: the Willie Nelson outcome).

However, when you see someone with a cleaner personality get busted on drugs (like this author), not only is their career practically over, but it would be like they never existed in the first place. (This has happened before with Psycho le Cemu & L'arc~en~Ciel.) They are basically brought back to square one in their career, and have to redeem themselves some way to get back on the top. Most of the time it never happens, and the only job this person will probably get is a gig in an AV film.

When I was over in Japan, there was a pop singer who admitted to using drugs, and said that she was going to rehab. I made the comment of "Guess whose records won't be selling in stores anytime soon," and my friend laughed, saying that it was true.

Personally, America could learn from this. Everytime Lindsay Lohan gets busted, she gets more and more press. If she was an actress in Japan, she would disappear from the face of the planet in a snap. Now wouldn't that be a great thing Twisted Evil?
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:37 pm Reply with quote
omnistry: Noavala has a clean personality?
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luisedgarf



Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 670
Location: Guadalajara, Mexico
PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:44 pm Reply with quote
Zac wrote:
Unholy_Nny wrote:
Well, considering that his clothing line was removed from the clothing companies website, and his personal website was put on hiatus, then it's probably a bigger deal than a fine and a warning.

Even if legally it isn't that bad, what kind of social opinions regarding marijuana are there in Japan that could possibly cause that?


For whatever reason it's a really big deal socially. The legal consequences are light but that guy's career is likely over, at least for now.


Well, it's the Typical Asian Hypocresy... Rolling Eyes
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nkaze



Joined: 16 Aug 2007
Posts: 30
PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:44 pm Reply with quote
Narcotics possession is a serious offense in Japan, and cannabis is in the same category as heroin. A conviction there typically results in jail time. It's also a standard part of japanese employment contracts to fire anyone convicted of drug use. This guy is pretty unlikely to ever be able to work again.
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Jariten
Company Representative


Joined: 08 Oct 2005
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Location: Here and there
PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:05 pm Reply with quote
The repercussions of using marijuana in Japan are pretty intense. If anyone here has ever been to Japan on a work or study abroad program, you may have read the infamous anecdote about the JET participant who was arrested for marijuana possession (if you're really interested, the anecdote is on page 197 of this PDF file - be warned, the file is huge).

In short, what happens if you use marijuana in Japan is this: they lock you up, there are interrogations, and then there's the additional jail time and hideous fees involved. Not to mention the fact you become a social outcast in every sense of the term once you are released from jail. If you're a non-Japanese citizen, you can bet that your embassy will laugh at you and say, "You broke the law, you're on your own."

Of course, if you're looking for a fast way to lose $30,000 and be deported, go for it.
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