Masayuki Takayama exposes the ignorance behind GHQ’s religious and cannabis policies and criticizes newspapers that insist Japan must “protect the constitution even if the nation collapses.” A sharp, historically grounded analysis of postwar contradictions.

Such a foolish constitution created by the GHQ is revered excessively, and there are newspapers that insist, “Even if the nation perishes, we must protect this good constitution.”
It is truly lamentable.

October 18, 2019

The following is from the essay by Masayuki Takayama, the one and only journalist in the postwar world.
I will republish the chapter originally released on July 16, 2018.
Not only in Japan—hemp was listed as one of the medicines in the Zoroastrian scriptures of the 7th century BC, and even Egyptian mummies were wrapped in cannabis.

The following is the continuation of the previous chapter.
MacArthur also ordered the Japanese government to “abandon animistic Shinto” and “convert to Christianity,” summoned three thousand missionaries, and even had the International Christian University built.
Minobe Tatsukichi, who sought to ingratiate himself with MacArthur, urged students to convert to Christianity as the president of the University of Tokyo.
Their aim was to convert 70% of the Japanese people, but not a single new believer was gained.

Behind this Christianization campaign lay the American sense of being a “chosen people”—the belief that they were a pure people selected by God.
From the early 20th century, they denounced alcohol and opium as substances that distance people from prayer, banned cannabis in 1911, banned opium in 1912, and outlawed alcohol and cocaine in 1920.
This was the so-called era of “pure America,” collectively known as the Prohibition era.

They brought that mentality to Japan, and in January 1946, GHQ issued a directive banning all narcotics, including cannabis.
In advanced Japan, narcotics were already regulated, but the ban on cannabis was astonishing.
This is because its active component, cannabis (cannabis extract), was a legitimate medicinal substance listed in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, recognized not only for its effectiveness in treating cataracts but also for its purifying properties.

In addition to being used for shimenawa ropes and sumo wrestlers’ belts, aratame garments worn by the Emperor during the Daijōsai ritual were also designated as hemp.
Not only in Japan—hemp was listed as a medicine in the Zoroastrian scriptures of the 7th century BC, and Egyptian mummies were wrapped in cannabis, presumably for its preservative effect.

Furthermore, in the New Testament scene where Mary Magdalene anoints Jesus with holy oil, that holy oil is believed to have been cannabis extract.

“Even if the nation perishes, protect the constitution.”

Moving on to the 19th century, Queen Victoria herself used cannabis as a treatment for menstrual pain.
The GHQ was ignorant of such history.

Then, half a century later, when HIV spread in the United States, cannabis suddenly drew attention for use in terminal care.
When cannabis was administered to terminal HIV or cancer patients who had lost the will to live, their appetite returned, and slight therapeutic effects were observed.

Today, many states have legalized its use for terminal medical care, and in Colorado and Washington, even sales and smoking are permitted.
Uruguay has taken the step of legalizing cannabis on a national scale.

Yet, there are newspapers that revere a foolish constitution made by such an ignorant GHQ, insisting that “even if the country collapses, we must protect the constitution.”
It truly is a serious problem.
(From the August 2015 issue.)