Zombie Cigarette Drug Busts Rise Across Kansai

Aug 10, 2026 | News On Japan

OSAKA - Authorities in Kyoto and Osaka have arrested three men in separate drug cases involving so-called zombie cigarettes containing the designated drug etomidate, as investigators step up efforts against the illegal trade in the Kansai region.

In Kyoto, police arrested 59-year-old Masahiko Nishiyama, also known as Jeong-je Cho, and 56-year-old Teruhiko Kashiwa on suspicion of violating the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act.

The two are suspected of conspiring with others to illegally import etomidate from Malaysia.

Police said the suspects have told investigators that they were introduced to the smuggling operation by an acquaintance and brought the drug into Japan.

Authorities seized nine types of drugs during the investigation, including stimulants, marijuana and etomidate.

So-called zombie cigarettes are not conventional cigarettes and may contain no tobacco. The term generally refers to illicit electronic-cigarette or vaping liquids containing etomidate, a powerful sedative used in some countries as an anesthetic.

The nickname comes from the severe physical effects that can occur after the drug is inhaled. Users may lose coordination, stagger, become unable to control their movements or experience involuntary movements and convulsions. More serious effects can include profound sedation, impaired consciousness, respiratory depression and loss of consciousness.

Etomidate itself has legitimate medical applications overseas, where it can be administered by medical professionals to induce anesthesia. In illicit vaping products, however, users inhale the substance outside a controlled medical environment, with no reliable way to know its concentration or what other drugs or chemicals may have been mixed into the liquid.

Japanese authorities began raising alarms over the recreational use of etomidate after abuse cases were identified in Okinawa. The health ministry issued a warning in May 2025 as concern grew over products containing the substance.

Japan subsequently designated etomidate as a designated drug under the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, with restrictions taking effect on May 26, 2025. Its manufacture, importation, sale, possession, purchase and use for unauthorized purposes are prohibited.

Authorities have also warned that the effects of etomidate can create dangers beyond the user, including accidents caused by people who become severely impaired after taking the drug.

The problem initially drew particular attention in Okinawa, but enforcement cases later emerged in other parts of Japan. By November 2025, the health ministry had confirmed arrests or enforcement cases in several prefectures outside Okinawa, although it said at the time that abuse had not yet spread nationwide.

The latest arrests in Kansai indicate that authorities are continuing to encounter etomidate-containing vaping products outside the areas where the problem was first identified.

In a separate case in Osaka, 31-year-old Tatsuhide Takahashi was arrested on suspicion of violating the Stimulants Control Act and other laws after allegedly possessing stimulants, zombie cigarettes and other drugs for commercial purposes in Osaka City's Tennoji Ward.

The Narcotics Control Department of the Kinki Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare believes several other people may be connected to the case and is continuing its investigation.

Authorities have not disclosed whether Takahashi has admitted or denied the allegations.

Source: ABCTVnews

Typhoon No. 17 Could Bring Sudden Swells to Pacific Beaches

Typhoon No. 17 (Nangka) remained near Minamitorishima as of 3 a.m. on August 14 and is expected to stay relatively weak, but forecasters warned that high waves and sudden swells could affect Japan's Pacific coast, posing a risk to swimmers and others enjoying marine activities during the summer holiday period.

Level 5 Heavy Rain Emergency Warning Issued Across Chiba

A Level 5 heavy rain emergency warning was issued for more than 20 municipalities in Chiba Prefecture on August 13 after a linear rainband formed over northwestern and southern parts of the prefecture, bringing torrential rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters per hour in several locations and causing widespread flooding, stranded vehicles and damage to buildings.

Google Opens Flagship Store in Tokyo's Omotesando

Google opened its first flagship store in Japan in Tokyo's Omotesando district at 2 p.m. on August 13, marking the company's first flagship retail location outside the United States.

Jellyfish-Like Red Glow Lights Up Kanagawa

A mysterious red light stretching vertically across the night sky over Kanagawa Prefecture has been identified as a rare "sprite," a brief luminous phenomenon that occurs high above thunderclouds at roughly the same time as powerful lightning strikes.

Awa Odori Dancers Fill Tokushima Streets

Street performances began across Tokushima on August 12 as the city's Awa Odori festival entered its second day, with leading dance groups showcasing graceful routines after months of practice.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Pythons Escape From Apartment in Kawasaki

Two pet pythons measuring about 2 meters in length escaped from an apartment in Kawasaki's Tama Ward early on August 13, prompting police and firefighters to search the surrounding residential area and warn local residents.

The Unseen Reality of Kumamoto Quake Survivors

Fifteen days after the Kumamoto earthquake, restoration of electricity and transport infrastructure is progressing, but thousands of people are believed to remain outside official shelters, while rising construction costs and interest rates are creating new challenges for rebuilding homes and restoring livelihoods.

Teens on Stolen Motorcycle Fire Rockets at Police Officers

Two teenage boys from Tokyo's Adachi Ward have been arrested on suspicion of stealing a motorcycle and firing aerial fireworks toward police officers at two police boxes, telling investigators they were annoyed that a new police box had opened in the area.

Japanese Woman Trapped in North Korea for 40 Years

Hiroko Saito was 19 years old when she left Japan for North Korea in June 1961 with her Korean husband and their one-year-old daughter, persuaded by assurances that they were heading to a "paradise on earth" and that she could return to Japan after three years. Instead, she would spend four decades in North Korea, enduring chronic hunger, the deaths of her husband and children and a desperate struggle to survive before finally escaping and returning home in 2001.