Tokyo: CBD Cafes
In the past few years, CBD businesses have been popping up around Tokyo. While THC is still illegal in Japan, CBD is not, as long as no illegal substance is in it.
As of now, it’s not fully mainstream but awareness and interest are increasing. We can see this by seeing how many searches for it are happening in Japan over the last few years:
Like many other trends, they likely start from people in or close to the international community. This could mean foreigners living in Japan, Japanese returnees who grew up or lived extensively abroad, or Japanese people who have international experience or interests in things overseas.
Domestic brands and shops such as Healthy TOKYO, CBD (coffee) [J], CALMS by H THINK [J], MUUKOMI, and AQUIL [J] have popped up, just to name a few.
The majority of these businesses are marketing CBD as a health and wellness item or dietary supplement. A lot of their website and social media content is educational. Their logos often use subdued, pastel-like colors, and their fonts tend to be clean and soft-looking.
I’ve had experiences at a couple places that I’d recommend.
CBD (COFFEE)
CBD (coffee) is a cute little coffee stand and shop in the Komaba-todaimae neighborhood on the Inokashira line.
It’s take out only, but they have a nice selection of drinks and CBDs. You order your drink, then customize it by choosing which CBD oil you want added, and how much. Drinks are priced according to your customization.
Staff are friendly and willing to provide an education in case you need. You can register as their LINE friend where they send coupons and host their point card.
Healthy TOKYO
Healthy TOKYO is one of the original and most comprehensive CBD shops in Tokyo. They’re more like a cafe with sit down spaces and full menus.
You can get your coffees and teas here, but you can also order baked goods, sweets, even lasagna. They have their own CBD line and sell a full line up of products, and a lot of their foods are focused on being vegan and organic.
They have a few locations around Tokyo; their original one in Harajuku, another in the Haneda Airport, and the one I visited in Daikanyama.