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Hemp that is useful for everyday life

It is said that 25000 different everyday products can be made from hemp, and it is a natural ingredient that is considerate towards health and the environment while supporting everyday needs



Clothing / Accessories


Hemp doesn't require pesticides, very little fertilizer, and is strong against weeds and pests, being a crop that doesn't bring environmental destruction like cotton. It grows not only in temperate zones, but also in subarctic, tropical and semi-desert zones, and can be cultivated anywhere in the world. Especially in the apparel industry, hemp is recognized as a natural material along with organic cotton. It's not necessary to say "organic" when referring to hemp, because it is an organic material to begin with hemp.

Furthermore, the structure of hemp fibers and its components have high deodorant and antibacterial powers, having the function of keeping optimum body temperatures. "Hemp" clothes are a must have in Japan, a country with high temperatures and humidity.


Hemp seed

"Hemp seeds" have been used as one of the ingredients of shichimi pepper, used as seasoning in udon and soba dishes. Hemp seed have protein, fibre and fatty acids in good balance, and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for intestinal problems from long ago.

With the development of technology to remove hemp seed's hard outer shell in Germany and Canada, there was an increase in the freedom to process and cook it. Hemp seeds taste like walnuts and can be turned into processed foods like soy, having received attention as a new health food to prevent/improve lifestyle diseases.
Japan imports about 1000 tonnes every year, most of it being distributed as bird feed.

Hemp oil is perfect to achieve beautiful skin

Hemp oil extracted from its seeds is exceedingly ease to absorb and moisturizing, making dry skin plump. It used to be regulated by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, but after a company specializing in hemp cosmetics registered hemp oil as a cosmetic ingredient, it became possible to produce and commercialize it within Japan, and many hemp cosmetic products were developed, even being sold in major department stores. There are also many enthusiasts of homemade soaps who are fans of the texture of hemp oil.


Hemp paper, Non-wood paper of excellent texture

From the year 2000, two paper companies were involved in the production of hemp paper, but after the 2008 fake recycled paper incident (the amount of recycled paper was markedly lower than what was indicated), commercial goods disappeared. However, now there are three washi paper businesses producing lamp shades and wallpaper using hemp. Furthermore, a hemp paper with 25% non-medical hemp pulp has been developed by the Younger Trading Company, and paper products using it are being commercialized.


For building materials and interiors!

In Japan, there is a history of using lime, seaweed glue and hemp products (hemp fibers cut into 5mm) as wall material (plaster). In Japan, a coating wall material based on lime and hemp chips has been produced and sold since 2003. This wall has excellent design and moisture balance and has been expanding in the refurbishment market.

Insulation, hemp wallpaper, hemp oil paint, hemp chip humidity controlling building boards, 100% hemp mosquito nets, hemp futons, hemp coal are also being developed.

The perfect material for animal bedding

Outside of Japan, shives that result from hemp fibers being shredded and turned into chips are used as bedding for race horses. Compared to wheat straw, it has better absorption, produces less dust, has a deodorizing effect, is a good insect repellent and cushion, zero harmful chemical substances, being treated as a high quality product. In Okinawa, tests conducted with cattle, pigs and chickens have shown that it decreases animal stress and increases meat quality. In the future it is expected that its use will spread in the field of high quality livestock.

Plastic ・ Composite materials

Outside Japan, Mercedez Benz and BMW are using hemp fibers as reinforcement for car interior materials, but there Japan has no track record of this type of usage. In Japan, a resin called INASO was developed using old stockpiled rice and hemp shives from the Tochigi Prefecture, and it is being produced and sold as a substitute for polypropylene, and fans, chopsticks and rice scoops have been produced with it.


Hemp coal(charcoal) is a new detox product

The core material left after removing fiber is called shives, and hemp coal is that material after carbonization. It was originally used for traditional heaters and as combusting material for fireworks, but recently, there are a number of everyday products being made with powdered hemp coal(. Hemp coal, especially, has 4 times the porosity of charcoal and 1.6 times that of bamboo coal, and it is thought that it has excellent adsorption and deodorizing effects.


Targeting bio-fuel/energy self-sufficiency

Recently, the production of BTL (Bio-liquid fuel) from woody materials has gathered attention to avoid competition between fuel and food. BTL can be extracted from hemp stems, 20% of the yield being turned into liquid fuel, with the apparatus making it possible to use the surplus gas to generate electricity and thermal energy. In remote island economies or inter-mountain regions, it suggested that one self-sufficient energy plant be instroduced for every 500 to 1000 inhabitants.


As a medicinal plant for several ailments

　In western countries, a variety medicinal variety of hemp that includes THC, rather than the fiber variety, is starting to be used as an effective treatment drug. It has recently been made clear by western medical research that it is effective against cancer, AIDs, glaucoma, asthma, epilepsy, depression, chronic pain, and incurable neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis. These clinical reports and research are a result of the discovery in the 1980s of cannabinoid receptors in the human body and marijuana in the brain, which triggered worldwide research competition in the medical and pharmacological fields.

Starting the the State of California, USA, in 1996, all 29 States now allow medical use of hemp. Other countries like the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Israel, Spain and Germany may also authorize it if procedures such as medical certificates are done. In 2007, Japanese pharmaceutical company Otsuka Seiyaku started clinical trials and drug development for analgesics targeting cancer pain.

In Japan, before WWII "Indian Hemp" was listed in the 5th Revised Pharmacopoeia (in use until 1951) to be commercially available for use as a sedative and analgesic. However, after the war in accordance with Article 4 of the Cannabis Control Law, doctors prescribing cannabis to patients as well as already prescribed patients could face up to 5 years imprisonment. For other unapproved medicine, use is permitted within the country as long as the patient and doctor are in agreement. However, cannabis has been in a situation where neither clinical trials nor basic medical research can be done with it.

Even under these circumstances, fundamental research on the mechanism of marijuana in the brain has been actively conducted in Japan. It has been studied in the field of neurology at universities such as Kanazawa University, Kyushu University, and Tokyo University, and as such many global achievements have been made. It is necessary to revise Japanese laws as soon as possible so that research on medical marijuana can be made while making full use of global research results.