I don't know if there has ever been a major drug crisis, Japan has a long history of using cannabis for hemp based products but the use of it recreationaly wasn

I don't know if there has ever been a major drug crisis, Japan has a long history of using cannabis for hemp based products but the use of it recreationaly wasn't really a concern domestically. Though the figures around drug use and overdose might be under-reported, even Japanese doctors will report drug use to the police thus deterring people from being honest. The pressure to ban cannabis outright came from US influences when Japanese legislation was passed in 1948, meth infact is actually the most used illicit drug today.