Methamphetamine tablets found in the dormitory of Nihon University football team Keio and Meiji Universities also had under-20 drinking scandals

Another shock has struck the Nihon University football team. Suspicions that some members of the team were in possession of illegal drugs, believed to be marijuana, in the dormitory have intensified, and the university has been conducting interviews with the coach and all members of the team, including those who have left the team. It was found that methamphetamine and dried marijuana were detected in two pill-like pills and a plant fragment, respectively. The team is currently refraining from practicing as a whole as a club, which makes it tougher for the team to participate in the fall league games that will start on September 2.

Number of arrests for marijuana offenses topped 5,000 for the third year in a row.

Despite its prestigious reputation as Japan’s number one student body 21 times, Nihon University was officially suspended in May 2018 after a defensive player injured a Kwansei Gakuin University QB finishing a play with a dangerous tackle from behind in a regular-season game against Kwansei Gakuin University. The player who made the tackle was referred to prosecutors on suspicion of injury, but the charges were dropped (prosecution suspended).

The series of developments were widely covered on TV wide shows on a daily basis, and information of unknown authenticity was circulated on social networking sites, and even after five years, the truth of the incident has yet to be revealed.

This time, it was an off-the-field scandal unrelated to the game. When it comes to illegal drug cases, an on-campus investigation is not enough, and the intervention of investigative authorities is inevitable. According to the National Police Agency, the number of arrests for marijuana offenses has topped the 5,000 mark for three consecutive years since 2020, mainly among young people under the age of 30. Why do young people turn to illegal drugs?

They are curious, or they are lured by their friends to get deep into it. You can get them in Shibuya’s Center Street or Shinjuku’s Kabukicho, and there are social networking sites. It may be a misleading expression, but it is surprisingly “familiar. We have had the police come and warn students that it is legal in some U.S. states but illegal in Japan, and that it affects the body and mind, but there are students who cross the line.

Drug contamination is spreading not only among ordinary students but also among members of athletic teams, as evidenced by the arrest of three members of the Tokyo University of Agriculture, a powerful boxing team, for possession of marijuana for the purpose of selling it.

In addition, other scandals continue to take place in the Kanto Student League. In April of this year, Keio and Meiji universities were found to have had members under the age of 20 drinking, with Keio University expelling 24 members and both schools refraining from club activities, which have recently resumed.

Both schools had recently resumed club activities. “It is appalling that they still have members under the age of 20 drinking. It’s not like the sports clubs of the Showa period, like ours. I heard that even at newcomers’ parties, non-alcoholic beverages such as juice and oolong tea are consumed. Marijuana? It’s out of the question now.

The league matches will start on September 2. ……

Will the team be able to continue to compete in the league with the scandal still fresh in their minds?

This season, Nihon University, Keio University, and Meiji University were all named in the “Top 8,” the highest rank, and Waseda, Hosei, Chuo, Rikkyo, and Todai were to compete for the top spot in the Kanto region.

Naturally, the schedule was already set, with Hosei – Nihon University on September 2, followed by Chuo – Rikkyo, Waseda – Keio, and Meiji University – Tokyo University on the following day. At the very least, the opening game on the 2nd will probably be a non-conference game for Hosei. The Kanto Student American Football Federation (KSUF) says that it is still awaiting an offer from Nihon University and has not yet decided to hold an emergency meeting of the board of directors, but the clock is ticking for the kickoff.

The University of Nihon was automatically relegated to a lower league after being held responsible for the incident five years ago, and it took two seasons to return to the “Top 8,” but it could be relegated again depending on how the alleged methamphetamine violation and other incidents go.

Sportswriter Toshiki Tsuda, author of the book “Burenai Sports Reporting” (Kotobuki-sha), which examines the truth behind the “malicious tackle incident,” has the following to say about the future development.

If Keio University and Meiji University do not participate, the five schools will have to play in the league, and the league will not be viable. For the sake of the club members who practice diligently, it is thought that both schools will be given a chance. Since Nihon University is suspected of violating the Methamphetamine Control Law as well as possession of marijuana, they will probably accept the offer to suspend their activities and withdraw from the league, resulting in a battle of seven schools this season. After that, the federation will take action, including automatic demotion, based on the results of the investigative authorities.

Why is there such a string of scandals in university football clubs?

The leading schools have around 100 members, with many having 150 to 200. The coaches and administrators work hard to match names and faces, and just when you think you have learned them, a year goes by and new members join the team. This makes it difficult to keep an eye on every part of the team, and the management system becomes lax. Some students are calculating because they want to get a job as a member of the football team, so the coaches have a hard time keeping track of them,” said Tsuda.

With less than a month to go before the opening of the Kanto Student League, the Kanto Student American Football League, which was founded in 1934 and boasts a nearly 90-year history, is once again on the verge of extinction in a nightmare reminiscent of the “vicious tackle” incident at Nihon University five years ago.