This stuff is ILLEGAL in Japan but OK in America!

There are a lot of harmless things Americans use everyday that are highly illegal in Japan! So what are these things and why are they considered to be so dangerous here?

Let's take a look at some of the things that will get you in a lot of trouble in Japan that Americans use everyday! Some of them are definitely weird, but they'll still get you in jail or fined!

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[MrsEats]

What are some things that are okay in your country but illegal in Japan??

[anonmouse]

I like to think that Japan has a seperate court system that solely deals with Pokemon related issues.

[annakaro]

In Latvia, there is a time of year when everyone gets an urge to grab a knife and disappear into the woods. It's called "mushroom season". You could be carrying an machete in public, as long as you have a basket full of chanterelles and ceps in your other hand, people will come up to chat with you, trying to find out where are the best mushroom-picking spots.

[DaveTexas]

So I’d just be arrested once I got off the plane… I take several controlled substances in order to function, thanks to autoimmune disease and a degenerative neurological disorder. I carry a Swiss Army knife that I use to deal with camera equipment malfunctions. I’ve done a lot of home brewing as well. At least I don’t sell illegally modified Pokémon.

[jspeedstar]

Mrs.Eats is like that really fun teacher you would have in school or a really cool aunt that shares the same geeky interests as you

[khonable]

Guilty until proven innocent that’s harsh and cruel.

[romank]

I try to avoid taking any medicine with me crossing the border for this exact reason - its really difficult to track and understand all the regulations.

[flowerobsessed_]

thanks for helping us not get arrested!
When I studied abroad in Japan, they gave us a student orientation which ended up being an entire day of them telling us not to do drugs in 6 different ways.

[LaNoir.]

As someone dependant on certain medicines, this scares the shit out of me. How was that ADHD case resolved?

[jarvindriftwood]

For Japan's alcohol law not going after drinks under 1%, this is likely because some fruit juices naturally carry a little alcohol although generally under 1%.

[abraxis]

This was SUPER helpful! I will say that the Pokémon thing will get you arrested in the US too. The case you referred to was for a device that allowed you to modify your own purchased cartridge, so it fell under what we call fair use laws. However, if you are distributing the modified product or selling the modified product (not the modifier, the end result of the modifier) it is still copywrite infringement.

[ShikataGaNai]

If you are coming to Japan and have meds, you'd better have a Yakkan Shoumei Certificate (since renamed)...and it needs to be fully filled-out by an MD. NOTE: In the US physicians have either an MD or DO degree and a medical license...but, the DO degree is NOT recognized in Japan.

[TakaComics]

I learned the umeshu thing a while back, and make mine every year. It's very fun and my friends have told me I should sell it if it was possible (I'm not going through all the legal hassle of doing that though hahaha). The story I heard about it was that the law tried to crack down on umeshu and other infused liquors, but so many older people who made umeshu for decades raised a big stink about it that they caved in and made an exception. Don't know how much truth there is to that story but knowing older Japanese people... I wouldn't doubt it.

[Jordan-inJapan]

Ah, the anti-homebrew law. It’s really unfortunate, not just because it deprives people or the fun and satisfaction of making their own beer, but because it has also slowed down the growth of the craft beer scene here. There just aren’t enough people around with brewing experience, which makes it a bit hard to start up a brewery. And how are you supposed to hone your skills before taking the plunge and investing in a proper, licensed operation? It’s frustrating. Well, one thing to keep in mind is that no one is going to notice if you brew on a small enough scale. Interestingly, ‘ume-shu’ jars are often used in the process. Or so I’ve heard… 😅

[HrHaakon]

Also, the 1% limit is probably for things like yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and other things that use fermentation as a preservative.

[yusikillah]

The selling illegal pokemon one is wild to me. I play competitive and one of the biggest issues people have is the time it takes to obtain "perfect" pokemon so hacking is rampant (or at least was very rampant before gen 8). At this point, even the judges dont care as long as pokemon themselves are theoretically possible to obtain. The fact that its illegal in Japan is wild

[atheistsince]

You put so much hard work and effort into these wonderful informative and unique videos . Speaking of vending machine culture there was a Japanese serial killer who poisoned some drinks and I THINK left them out in public or somehow got them inside the vending machine before mass and cheap video surveillance. It was a very bad case I believe that killer was caught unlike the unforgettable Tylenol poisonings in the US circa 1980 a lot of people died and sadly that killer (s) is still at large . 😢

[JR-ttoo]

Regarding cheating software or modifying bootlegs in games, it is technically illegal to offer this as a service, but its only ever really enforced if you are an individual. If a company did it, they generally figure out loopholes.

[duncang]

I always thought japanese drug laws were weird because there are over the counter benzodiazepines which are some of the most dangerous drugs to be addicted to.

[thepeff]

I love how much research you did for this episode. You seem very well read on this topic