BACK ISSUE #409

Light in the DARC
"Traditionally the Japanese government has educated people never to touch drugs because it's a crime. While they focus on prevention, they do nothing to cure addicts. As a result, the government simply sends drug addicts to jail as criminals," Tsuneo Kondo, founder of DARC

Light years behind its First World brethren, Japan still refuses to see addiction as an illness. But lack of government funding and support hasn't deterred Tsuneo Kondo, co-founder of the country's first and only drug treatment center. Takanori Kobayashi reports.

It all started with a toothache. Before he knew it, Tsuneo Kondo was hooked on stimulants. His life spiraled down from there. In and out of jails and mental hospitals, he thought he would never break out of the vicious cycle. Moreover, the young businessman never thought he had an illness until he met a fellow addict—an American Maryknoll priest and recovering alcoholic.

"He told me, It's not your fault you can't stop taking drugs; you should realize drug addiction is an illness. And it is a curable illness,'" recalls Kondo on meeting Roy Assenheimer more than 15 years ago. The words hit home, inspiring Kondo to help the missionary set up an alcoholism treatment facility in Hokkaido and eventually start his own drug treatment center.

Kondo's years of addiction mirror those of other Japanese drug abusers, highlighting the government's focus on prevention and penalty rather than treatment. It was not until Kondo decided to open DARC (Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Centers) that he and his fellow addicts had a place to turn for support and treatment. Even today, DARC's 25 centers throughout Japan remain the only institutions of their kind in the country, surviving wholly without government support.

"Traditionally the Japanese government has educated people never to touch drugs because it's a crime. While they focus on prevention, they do nothing to cure addicts. As a result, the government simply sends drug addicts to jail as criminals," says Kondo, now 59 and drug-free for 15 years.

"All that happens then is the addicts get more information on how to get drugs cheaper and easier from other addicts. Once they are released, it isn't long before they are arrested again."

Under pressure
Sitting in his Tokyo consulting office, Kondo strikes a stern figure with his mustache and beard. But once he starts talking, his frank but mild manner immediately lessens any apprehension. Kondo's empathy for other addicts is also clear—three former addicts work with him in this small office.

"I guess I started for the same reason as most addicts; I was disillusioned with society and just wanted the days to pass quickly. I was in middle management and getting stressed out. That's what caused my toothache," Kondo says. "I was under heavy pressure from my boss and my subordinates. Then, one day, the president's son joined the company, and he and I were often opposed, which made my toothache worse. I took stimulants as painkillers and before I knew it, I was hooked."

Kondo's story is one of many. Since World War II, there have been three prevalent periods of drug abuse in Japan. The use of stimulants, known elsewhere as amphetamines or methamphetamines, first spread between 1945 and 1955, after which the use of heroin sharply escalated in 1961-1962. From 1970 to today, the use of stimulants has become popular again.

Indeed, according to a white paper on crime, the number of people arrested for misuse of stimulants has consistently surpassed 16,000 per year over the last several years. The government now recognizes drug addicts and stimulant addicts as one and the same.
Kondo tried to quit but failed. "I even told a judge in court once that there was no way I could kick the habit," he recalls. "I tried to stop, but I felt guilty, bad and had no self-confidence."

Meeting Assenheimer was the turning point, providing Kondo with renewed hope. "He trusted me at a time when I had completely lost my confidence. By getting a purpose in life to do something for others instead of abusing drugs again, I began my journey out of drug addiction."

Since starting DARC, Kondo has met many more Japanese like him. He's listened to their stories and the reasons behind their addictions—some are bullied, others are just lonely. For them, taking drugs isn't an escape from reality, but a necessary medicine for their mental malaise, he says.

The chief director of DARC Okinawa, Yuji Miura, started sniffing glue when he was in junior high school. By the time he graduated from high school, he had tried almost every kind of drug, including stimulants, marijuana, cocaine and LSD. Over the course of his addiction he was in and out of both mental hospitals and jails.

"When I was arrested for the second time, Kondo testified for me because my mother asked him to," Miura recalls. "I got off, but for three years after I never went to meet or thank Kondo. Probably because during that time, I was back on stimulants."
A second meeting arranged through Miura's mother eventually led Miura to go to Okinawa and begin working for DARC.

"Having joined DARC, I can't say I'm not anxious about my future because DARC provides no (medical) insurance. Despite that, I like working here," he says. "Before, wherever I worked, I had to keep my drug past a secret, but at DARC my experience helps people recover from drug addiction. This simple fact is probably what has kept me clean for the past nine years."

Lean on me
From humble beginnings, DARC has come a long way. There are now 75 people working for its 25 centers throughout the country. The group accepts people struggling with addictions to marijuana, cocaine, heroin, opium, LSD, MDMA, stimulants and other drugs regulated by the government.

DARC also supports those addicted to legal and over-the-counter medicines. After 15 years, Kondo's efforts are also finally being recognized: in 2001 he was one of five recipients of the Yoshikawa Eiji Bunka Syo (Yoshikawa Eiji Cultural Award), an annual award given to those who contribute to improvement of Japanese culture.

More than ten years before DARC was launched, an American introduced Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) to Japan. AA, which relies on contributions from members, operates according to a 12-step program centered on regular group meetings.
Twenty-five years on, AA faces many of the same difficulties as DARC. "Japanese people tend to look down on those that are perceived to be weak-willed, i.e. unable to give up by themselves," says an active member living in Tokyo. "There is a tendency on the part of some to lump AA, religious groups and cults such as Aum Shinrikyo together."

DARC is also centered on weekly meetings to bring people together and share their stories. But unlike AA members who typically hold jobs, drug addicts have usually spent time in prison and many haven't worked for years.

Kondo handles their treatment in a decidedly un-Japanese way. "It's not a pyramid style. We don't put a person in charge at any center since it creates dependency and direction, which is not good for addicts," he says. "Instead, we let them do what they like. The centers just exist for addicts to get together to have a weekly meeting by themselves. If they don't come, the centers will just disappear. But so far, not one center has had to be closed down."

Participants are not forced to take part in meetings, but gently encouraged, says Kondo. "At first, we try to get addicts to recognize that they are powerless toward their addiction. Then, we help them believe they can recover from drug addiction, and finally we encourage them to believe they can depend on a higher power, God, if you like, who will cure them."

Facing the facts
With no exact figures, it's nearly impossible to grasp the extent of drug and alcohol abuse in Japan. But as DARC expands, it continues to face lingering challenges. Foremost among them are getting funding and getting the government and society to change their attitude toward addiction.

"As for drug addicts, if you count those in hospitals, jails, at DARC, plus actual drug abusers who do it in secret, there are probably way more than alcoholics," says Kondo. The feeling of shame, which is so strong in Japanese society, keeps the true scope of the problem invisible. "For instance, a family with a drug addict will try to hide the fact from the public because they don't want anyone else to know about it."

The same appears to be true for alcoholism, which according to AA's Big Book, published in 1939, is a chronic medical condition. One doctor described it as "a manifestation of an allergy.Since then this position has been almost universally adopted, including by the medical profession. AA in the West seems to have the support of numerous doctors," says the local member, adding that, "Doctors in Japan seem to be suspicious or skeptical of AA."

Such skepticisim also influences the government, which sees drug abuse as a choice rather than a disease. Its approach, therefore, has been to try to tackle the problem before it happens rather than after.

"Our main activity is to prevent people, especially youth, from starting to use drugs by trying to warn them of the dangers. But we don't take care of actual drug addicts at all," says Tsuyoshi Saito, director of the business department of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Drug Abuse Prevention Center.
While government-sponsored mental health welfare centers are also slowly spreading throughout Japan, their focus remains on prevention.

"One of our main activities is to hold lectures at junior high and high schools to emphasize to students what kind of troubles drug use can cause," explains Satoru Inoue, an official at one such center. "We also arrange meetings or counseling for families with drug addicts and introduce them to hospitals. Sometimes, we invite professionals or DARC members as lecturers. Originally, we took in drug addicts, but none are here at present. The situation may be almost the same at other centers."

Kondo, struggling to keep DARC afloat with contributions from Japan's foreign community, once approached the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for financial assistance. "However, some pencil pusher refused, telling us: 'If you want financial aid, you have to bow before politicians.' Can you believe that? DARC looks after people whom the government abandons. Why should we bow our heads to politicians to get help?" he asks.

Donations were equally hard to come by from the public, leaving DARC to rely on foreign donors. Kondo attributes the current state of affairs on cultural and religious differences. "Unfortunately, in Japanese society, there is no custom of contributing time and money to help those with problems, nor is there any religious inclination to do so. Charity still seems to be largely a Christian concept," he explains.

But considering Kondo's growing public image and increasing public discussion of drug addiction, changes may be in store for DARC. In 1997, Social Democratic Party and Lower House member Nobuto Hosaka tried to draw government attention to the seriousness of the nation's drug addiction problems. Noting DARC's efforts in the field, Hosaka urged the Diet and then-Minister of Health of Welfare Junichiro Koizumi to allocate funding.
Kondo says the government is only now considering sharing a part of DARC's budget, but his mission remains squarely on supporting addicts. What he wants even more than funding are local communities willing to embrace centers and to open a 24-hour support center.

"While DARC gets a lot of phone calls from addicts, many government institutions receive few phone calls because their existence isn't well known, even though many public health offices do have a section for drug addicts. DARC can't handle all the drug addiction problems in Japan, so we need more help from some of these underused public offices," he notes. "It's important to deal with these problems as soon as possible, not only for addicts themselves but also for their families."

While the journey to recovery has been a long one for Japan's addicts, DARC is one road sign that helps keep those striving for freedom from drugs on the right path.

Anyone wishing to help can send donations to the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Nippori branch, ordinary account MAC/DARC KOENKAI, account No. 0172099, or through the post office: MAC/DARC KOENKAI No. 00120-0-193274.

Photos: Takanori Kobayashi