tokhouse comments

Although the history of cannabis hemp in Japan goes back to the neolithic Jomon era, thousands of years ago, cannabis was not made illegal in the country until after the defeat in World War II. Few people nowadays realize that it was the American military occupation government of General McArthur (himself a tobacco smoker) that passed the Hemp Control Act in 1948, the first hemp prohibition law in the entire history of Japan. Marijuana most certainly was not made illegal in Japan because it was dangerous. In 5000 years of recorded worldwide hemp history not a single death has been attributable to an overdose of marijuana, while hundreds of thousands of people are killed by tobacco and alcohol every year.

AirBnb like all the global OTA’s are interested in one thing only. Skimming fees. Do they own property, pay the staff, pay the bills? No.

They will list anything to collect fees.

They spend millions of those fees to hire attorneys to stall off being regulated.

In Japan it has not worked. They will get their hat handed to them by the hotel lobbyists and the giant Japanese internet and real estate corporations.

They have been one of the primary reasons for the strict regulations imposed in Japan as they have no respect for a culture or people.

Unfortunately many caring, professional hosts have been forced out of business in Japan.

They knew all about the upcoming regulations and did little to to inform guests they would be out in the street.

They act like they own property but they are just a pimp at the end of the day.

Hopefully the growing movement of #bookdirect will put vacation rental management back where it belongs and guests can have a community of honest legit choices and direct communication with owners and managers.