Yamanashi student jumps from building after eating 'legal mood-enhancing' cookies sold online
Don't take cookies from strangers.
In Japan, where strict anti-drug laws remain in place, you might find products that claim to give similar sensations to illegal substances but use ingredients allowed by law. Especially, in the harder-to-regulate realm of the Internet, products that claim to give 'legal highs' are sold, but who knows what's really inside them?
Last May, a university student in Yamanashi Prefecture found this out the hard way, having ordered some cookies online that claimed to be made with 'mood-enhancing ingredients.' Shortly after eating some with an acquaintance, he jumped from the second floor of his dormitory. He was hurt in the fall but none of his injuries are life-threatening.
The student was given a drug test by the Yamanashi Prefectural Police at the time but he was found to have no illegal substances in his system. The cookies he ate were also examined and also found to be free of illegal narcotics. However, the details of the case would strongly suggest that eating the cookies was the main factor influencing his decision to jump.
According to the drug-control division of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, products sold online may claim to contain legal ingredients but actually hide illegal substances without listing them. The ministry is also finding and testing these products and adding any new substances they find, such as synthetic cannabinoids, to their list of restricted ingredients, but say it's difficult to keep up with the rate that new products come out.
Readers of the news online were intrigued by how the cookies could pass known drug tests but still make a guy jump out a window.
'Maybe it's a placebo effect.'
'Sometimes just taking supplements gets me all antsy and wanting to move around.'
'What kind of cookies are these? I want to know so I can avoid them.'
'There are cookies that make you think you can fly?'
'A cookie can do that?'
'At least no one was hurt.'
'His parents must be proud for him to go off to university and do this.'
'If there really are no illegal ingredients then I guess it's buyer beware. It's like those extremely spicy chips.'
'If you have to go out of your way to say your product is legal, it's pretty suspicious.'
'It's just like the Yosuke Kubozuka incident.'
Yosuke Kubozuka is a musician and actor who fell from the ninth floor of a building in 2004 and miraculously survived. He says he has no memory of the incident and no idea why he would have fallen, adding that he never had suicidal thoughts and did not use drugs. The official explanation is that he slipped while trying to take down some decorations, but there is still uncertainty about what really happened.
Kubozuka's case reminds us that anything is possible, but it still seems like something was seriously up with this student's snack. So, if you want to enjoy some cookies, only buy them from a trusted store or better yet, bake your own cookies using ingredients you've purchased from the supermarket. It's fun and way better than putting your life in the hands of some shady online vendor.
Source: Yomiuri Online, Twitter/@tsuisoku777
Featured image: Pakutaso
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Japan Today
2 hours ago
- Japan Today
Yamanashi student jumps from building after eating legal 'mood-enhancing' cookies sold online
By SoraNews24 In Japan, where strict anti-drug laws remain in place, you might find products that claim to give similar sensations to illegal substances but use ingredients allowed by law. Especially, in the harder-to-regulate realm of the Internet, products that claim to give 'legal highs' are sold, but who knows what's really inside them? In May, a university student in Yamanashi Prefecture found this out the hard way, having ordered some cookies online that claimed to be made with 'mood-enhancing ingredients.' Shortly after eating some with an acquaintance, he jumped from the second floor of his dormitory. He was hurt in the fall but none of his injuries are life-threatening. The student was given a drug test by the Yamanashi Prefectural Police at the time but he was found to have no illegal substances in his system. The cookies he ate were also examined and also found to be free of illegal narcotics. However, the details of the case would strongly suggest that eating the cookies was the main factor influencing his decision to jump. According to the drug-control division of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, products sold online may claim to contain legal ingredients but actually hide illegal substances without listing them. The ministry is also finding and testing these products and adding any new substances they find, such as synthetic cannabinoids, to their list of restricted ingredients, but say it's difficult to keep up with the rate that new products come out. Readers of the news online were intrigued by how the cookies could pass known drug tests but still make a guy jump out a window. 'Maybe it's a placebo effect.' 'Sometimes just taking supplements gets me all antsy and wanting to move around.' 'What kind of cookies are these? I want to know so I can avoid them.' 'There are cookies that make you think you can fly?' 'A cookie can do that?' 'At least no one was hurt.' 'His parents must be proud for him to go off to university and do this.' 'If there really are no illegal ingredients then I guess it's buyer beware. It's like those extremely spicy chips.' 'If you have to go out of your way to say your product is legal, it's pretty suspicious.' 'It's just like the Yosuke Kubozuka incident.' Yosuke Kubozuka is a musician and actor who fell from the ninth floor of a building in 2004 and miraculously survived. He says he has no memory of the incident and no idea why he would have fallen, adding that he never had suicidal thoughts and did not use drugs. The official explanation is that he slipped while trying to take down some decorations, but there is still uncertainty about what really happened. Kubozuka's case reminds us that anything is possible, but it still seems like something was seriously up with this student's snack. So, if you want to enjoy some cookies, only buy them from a trusted store or better yet, bake your own cookies using ingredients you've purchased from the supermarket. It's fun and way better than putting your life in the hands of some shady online vendor. Source: Yomiuri Online, Twitter/@tsuisoku777 Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Test your might in forehead flicking with Decopin Buster -- Godiva Japan adds Dubai Chocolate treats to its menu for a limited time -- Riot of Demons actually a great reason to visit one of Tokyo's most beautiful hotels this summer External Link © SoraNews24
SoraNews24
20 hours ago
- SoraNews24
Yamanashi student jumps from building after eating 'legal mood-enhancing' cookies sold online
Don't take cookies from strangers. In Japan, where strict anti-drug laws remain in place, you might find products that claim to give similar sensations to illegal substances but use ingredients allowed by law. Especially, in the harder-to-regulate realm of the Internet, products that claim to give 'legal highs' are sold, but who knows what's really inside them? Last May, a university student in Yamanashi Prefecture found this out the hard way, having ordered some cookies online that claimed to be made with 'mood-enhancing ingredients.' Shortly after eating some with an acquaintance, he jumped from the second floor of his dormitory. He was hurt in the fall but none of his injuries are life-threatening. The student was given a drug test by the Yamanashi Prefectural Police at the time but he was found to have no illegal substances in his system. The cookies he ate were also examined and also found to be free of illegal narcotics. However, the details of the case would strongly suggest that eating the cookies was the main factor influencing his decision to jump. According to the drug-control division of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, products sold online may claim to contain legal ingredients but actually hide illegal substances without listing them. The ministry is also finding and testing these products and adding any new substances they find, such as synthetic cannabinoids, to their list of restricted ingredients, but say it's difficult to keep up with the rate that new products come out. Readers of the news online were intrigued by how the cookies could pass known drug tests but still make a guy jump out a window. 'Maybe it's a placebo effect.' 'Sometimes just taking supplements gets me all antsy and wanting to move around.' 'What kind of cookies are these? I want to know so I can avoid them.' 'There are cookies that make you think you can fly?' 'A cookie can do that?' 'At least no one was hurt.' 'His parents must be proud for him to go off to university and do this.' 'If there really are no illegal ingredients then I guess it's buyer beware. It's like those extremely spicy chips.' 'If you have to go out of your way to say your product is legal, it's pretty suspicious.' 'It's just like the Yosuke Kubozuka incident.' Yosuke Kubozuka is a musician and actor who fell from the ninth floor of a building in 2004 and miraculously survived. He says he has no memory of the incident and no idea why he would have fallen, adding that he never had suicidal thoughts and did not use drugs. The official explanation is that he slipped while trying to take down some decorations, but there is still uncertainty about what really happened. Kubozuka's case reminds us that anything is possible, but it still seems like something was seriously up with this student's snack. So, if you want to enjoy some cookies, only buy them from a trusted store or better yet, bake your own cookies using ingredients you've purchased from the supermarket. It's fun and way better than putting your life in the hands of some shady online vendor. Source: Yomiuri Online, Twitter/@tsuisoku777 Featured image: Pakutaso ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
The Mainichi
21-05-2025
- The Mainichi
Corn thefts during harvest season in Japan's Yamanashi Pref. prompt increased vigilance
KOFU -- Yamanashi Prefectural Police are ramping up their vigilance against corn thefts, a specialty product of this central Japan city, with its peak harvest season looming in June, as in recent years there have been a spate of incidents targeting the crop during this time of year. One such case occurred early one morning in June 2022 in the Nakamichi district of Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture's capital city. Approximately 1,000 ears of corn, worth 200,000 yen (currently around $1,400), were stolen from a field. The theft was apparently orchestrated just before harvest. The prefectural police believe it was carried out by a group and have been investigating, but the case remains unsolved. A 78-year-old corn farmer near the scene commented, "It's enough to fill a small truck. It's truly sad and frustrating to have the corn we've carefully grown stolen." The Kofu basin's temperature fluctuations between day and night contribute to the area's thriving corn production. In particular, the Nakamichi district in southern Kofu is a major production area, with vast cornfields dominating the landscape. Varieties such as "Gold Rush," "Mille-Feuille" and "Kimihime" are known for their high sugar content and large size. These are primarily shipped to the Tokyo metropolitan area, fetching prices around 3,600 to 3,800 yen (about $25 to $26.50) per 5 kilograms. According to Minami-Kofu Police Station, there have been a number of corn thefts in recent years. In 2024, there were three incidents involving a total of 50 ears of corn stolen within its jurisdiction. Additionally, in June of the same year, eight ears of "Gold Rush" corn were stolen from a field in the neighboring city of Fuefuki, leading to the arrest of a man in his 70s from Kofu on suspicion of theft. A local farmer said that the theft of two to three ears is a common occurrence each year and they do not file a damage report with police over such small-scale thefts. To help prevent these incidents, the police station will conduct a large-scale patrol on May 23, deploying police dogs among other measures. It is also intensifying patrols with police cars throughout the harvest season. Yukihisa Hirayama, chief of the station's community safety division, emphasized, "We must not allow the theft of corn that farmers have painstakingly cultivated." (Japanese original by Shusaku Sugimoto, Kofu Bureau)
