Cannabis Case in Asakusa Underground — Suspect’s Shop Shows Questionable Plants on Sign

At the popular tourist spot, “Asakusa Underground Mall.”

On August 14, the Metropolitan Police Department announced the arrest of Takahiro Arakawa (27) and his wife Kimi (31), owners of a general store in the Asakusa Underground Mall in Taito Ward, Tokyo, on suspicion of violating the Cannabis Control Act for possessing dried cannabis for the purpose of sale.

The couple is suspected of possessing 0.65 grams of cannabis at their store, PAPIZONDON, in June of last year. Following a tip that “something resembling cannabis is being sold at the store,” police investigations uncovered about 50 cannabis-infused cookies, dried cannabis, and measuring tools and inhalation devices with cannabis residues. Additionally, approximately 250 grams of cannabis were found at their residence in Adachi Ward. Takahiro Arakawa denies the allegations, while Kimi Arakawa has remained silent. Police believe the couple sold cannabis at the store and allowed customers to consume it on site.

The Asakusa Underground Mall, considered the oldest underground shopping street in Japan, opened in 1955 and is regarded as a relic of the Showa era. In recent years, its retro atmosphere has made it a popular tourist spot beyond just local residents. The area has also been used as a filming location for the movie PERFECT DAYS, attracting fans for pilgrimage visits, and has been cherished by people for 70 years.

The couple’s store, PAPIZONDON, was described on Instagram as “Asakusa underground district—a secret underground base to enjoy music and books,” and it also operated as an izakaya and bar. On the store’s website, in addition to books and vintage clothing, smoking supplies were sold, including flavored dried papers called blunt papers, used for rolling cigarettes.

Reputation of the store heard on-site

When visiting the store in person, the paint on the wall spelling Asakusa as “Hemp Grass” gives off an underground, edgy vibe. In the showcase in front of the store, there are collages featuring what appears to be cannabis, a torii gate, and an eye, making it a somewhat intimidating place for first-time visitors.

A local man who came after seeing the news said, “The atmosphere looks pretty sketchy,” showing he was a little put off by the store’s appearance.

“I’m a local, so I looked it up online and came here. I’d understand this in Shinjuku or Shibuya, but I never expected something like this in a tourist area of Asakusa. It’s been a while since I came to the underground mall—it’s not exactly clean, with water leaks and hygiene issues. The place itself has an underground vibe, and a store like this fits right in, so I thought, ‘Well, that makes sense.’”

People running other restaurants in the underground mall reported that there were no signs of cannabis use in the store; it seemed like a normal general store and eatery.

“I haven’t smelled cannabis, and I never heard of anyone smoking it. Mr. Arakawa, who was arrested, didn’t seem strange or unusual, and there were no incidents during business hours. The store had a suspicious vibe, which I assumed was part of its image, but I never thought it would actually lead to an arrest.”

Frequent visitors to the underground mall were also surprised and didn’t sense any cannabis activity. A man running an izakaya there recalled witnessing a police investigation last year:

“This was around June last year. About 20 police officers raided the place, which was shocking. I watched it happen, but no arrests were made at the time. From my perspective as someone doing business there, I felt relieved that no cannabis was involved. Mr. Arakawa is a friendly, normal guy. I never saw anything unusual during or after business hours.”

Regarding the cannabis incident in Japan’s oldest underground shopping street, other shop owners unanimously stated that “there were no signs of anything.” However, even before the incident, photos of the “Hemp Grass” sign were circulating on social media, and posts such as, “The very back of that place in Asakusa (referring to Arakawa’s shop) smelled strongly of cannabis,” had already made the store a topic of conversation. Naturally, people interested in cannabis may have visited from various places.

It seems the suspicious impression wasn’t just due to the store’s appearance.

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