A Critical Assessment of Indications of the National Prevalence of Illegal Drug Use in Japan

Abstract

Indications of the national prevalence of illegal drug use in Japan have largely been presented from two main sources: official police-recorded statistics and a national self-report survey. Their findings have been often used to support a representation of Japan as having relatively low levels of illegal drug use in comparison to other developed countries. However, the use and presentation of these sources has rarely considered in any meaningful way their nature and accuracy in revealing patterns of illegal drug use. As such, there is a tendency to uncritically accept and reproduce dominant patterns that may distort and disguise a more realistic understanding. This article critically examines these two sources, identifying a series of methodological issues that may contribute toward an underrepresentation of illegal drug use. In doing so, it also argues that a more critical social science–informed perspective may allow for these sources to be better utilized and situated within the cultural context in which they are produced and which they claim to represent.