TOKYO - Approximately 350,000 people in Japan between 15 to 64 are believed to have used cocaine, the largest estimate since the current research method was introduced in 2007, a government study showed Thursday.
A nationwide survey sent out by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 2025 showed 0.4 percent of respondents had admitted to cocaine use. The results come as police crackdowns on cocaine cases hit a record high in 2025.
According to the study, the most used illegal drug was marijuana at 1.6 percent, translating to an estimated 1.41 million people on a population basis.
"Stimulants used to be mainstream, but the trend is shifting toward marijuana and cocaine, as in Europe and the United States," said Takuya Shimane, head researcher at the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, highlighting the necessity of relapse prevention measures.
The health ministry's research group sent surveys to 5,000 people selected from the basic resident register between October and December 2025 and received 3,156 valid responses. Actual drug use may be higher since usage history is self-reported.
The survey results showed 0.5 percent of men had used cocaine at least once in the past, while 0.3 percent of women answered similarly, equivalent to about 210,000 and 140,000 people, respectively.
By age, those in their 40s were the largest cohorts to have had previously used the drug at 0.7 percent, the equivalent of approximately 130,000 people.
According to the National Police Agency, police took action against 804 people in relation to cocaine use in 2025, up 218 from a year earlier. Many are believed to have gained access to the drug through social media.
Meanwhile, respondents in their 20s were the largest group to have been solicited at 1.2 percent, or an estimated 140,000 people. Men were more likely to be offered marijuana and stimulants, while women were approached more for cocaine.
Regarding fentanyl, an opioid drug that has led to a crisis in the United States, just two of the respondents said they had abused the drug that had been prescribed to them.
"(Fentanyl) is sometimes used for treatments in Japan, but its distribution has been properly controlled," said Shimane.
Japan has been conducting surveys regarding drug abuse every other year since 1995 and updated its method of analysis in 2007.
