4. Comparison Between Japan and Canadaapproach. However, while respecting personal freedom, it is also clear that drug dependence is highly visible in public spaces and directly affects public safety. In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, for example, it has become commonplace to see drug-dependent individuals collapsed on the streets, and the area has even been referred to as a zombie town. This clearly illustrates the severity of drug dependence in Canada.Summarizing these differences, Table 3 presents the contrasting approaches of the two countries.Table 3: Comparison of Drug Policies in Japan and CanadaSource: Arakawa Times, “The Spread of Drug Problems in Canadian Cities and the Importance of Japan’s Illegal Drug Policies” (June 29, 2025). (Author’s translation) As is evident from this table, Japan seeks to maintain public safety by strictly prohibiting drug use, while Canada accepts drug use as part of society and focuses on minimizing risks. Each policy has its own merits and drawbacks, and these approaches clearly reflect deeply rooted differences in values. Comparing drug issues in Japan and Canada reveals that each country’s policy approach is tailored to its own social circumstances, and striking differences can be observed. In Japan, strict regulations and severe penalties are enforced against illegal drugs, including cannabis, and even first-time offenders are typically convicted. As a result, drug dependency is rarely visible in public, and the safety of urban areas is relatively well maintained. On the other hand, the dangers of legally available drugs are not fully recognized, and problems of dependence and misuse tend to remain hidden beneath the surface. In particular, the misuse of over-the-counter drugs by young people has not been fully addressed or supported, and in recent years this has become a serious issue and a major challenge in Japan.Figure X: The Fentanyl Crisis in Vancouver’s Downtown EastsideSource: The Telegraph, “How decriminalisation made Vancouver the fentanyl capital of the world” (July 9, 2024; Photo: Simon Townsley) By contrast, Canada has taken relatively tolerant policies toward drugs, beginning with the legalization of cannabis in 2018. The introduction of harm reduction reflects a completely different perspective from Japan: while Japan strongly emphasizes campaigns such as the “No! Absolutely No!” movement, Canada recognizes drug use as an individual freedom and instead aims to minimize the associated harm. From the standpoint of Japanese society, where strong opposition to drugs is the norm, this is a strikingly contrasting and novel 8
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