Hemp, known in Japan as “asa,” has a long and rich history in the Asian country. Its earliest traces date back to the Jōmon period, about 15,000 years ago, a stage that lasted over ten millennia until the start of the Yayoi period. Since then, this plant, from the Cannabaceae family, naturally integrated into daily Japanese life. Its uses were varied. It was part of the diet and also key in daily life: its fibers were used for clothing, ropes, and essential objects.

Hemp was not just a useful raw material. Over time, it also gained significant spiritual importance. In Shintoism, for example, it became considered a sacred plant. Priests used it to make shimenawa, ceremonial ropes placed in sacred spaces to protect them and keep away evil spirits.

However, this deep-rooted relationship changed radically during the 20th century. In 1948, during the post-war era and with Japan under U.S. occupation, the Cannabis Control Act was passed. That year marked a turning point, as most of the plant was banned, including leaves, flowers, roots, and immature stems. Mature stems and seeds were exempt from this restriction.

Current situation of CBD in Japan

Decades later, the legal framework has shifted again. Since December 2024, Japan has pushed a significant reform of its hemp legislation. Although it remains one of the strictest in the world, the focus has changed: now regulation centers on the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and maximum allowed levels in products, rather than the specific part of the plant they come from.

Generally, CBD is legal in Japan if it meets two key requirements. First, it must be extracted only from authorized parts of the plant—stems and seeds. Second, the final product must not contain THC, the psychoactive component. Due to this strict law, only CBD isolate and broad-spectrum products completely free of THC are legal for purchase and consumption.

Traveling from Spain to Japan with CBD products

For those planning to travel to the country of anime and manga with CBD products, the situation can get complicated. In Spain, such products, like Mama Kana CBD flowers, are legal as long as they contain no more than 0.3% THC and come from EU-authorized industrial hemp.

However, this is where nuances arise. Many products legally sold in Spain (oils, flowers, or resins) may contain trace THC or come from plant parts more restricted in Japan, like flowers or leaves. For this reason, it’s usually wisest to avoid traveling with CBD products bought in Spain, even if they are fully legal there.