Shabu
Also known in Japan as Kakuseizai (覚醒剤), is a street name, especially common in Asia, for crystal methamphetamine, a powerful and highly addictive stimulant.
While today it's associated with black markets and organized crime, its origins are surprisingly scientific and distinctly Japanese.
Methamphetamine was not only found in Japan it was born there. Japan was one of the first countries where meth was synthesized, distributed at scale, abused by civilians, and eventually criminalized.
The story begins in 1893, when Japanese chemist Nagai Nagayoshi first synthesized methamphetamine from ephedrine, a natural compound found in certain plants. At the time, it was a purely academic chemical breakthrough with no indication of the widespread devastation the substance would eventually cause.
Later, in 1919, Akira Ogata, another Japanese chemist, refined methamphetamine into a crystallized, water-soluble form. This made the drug far more potent and easily injectable essentially the same form abused today as shabu or crystal meth. Ogata's version was originally intended for medicinal purposes, marketed under the name Philopon (ヒロポン). It was promoted as a remedy for fatigue, depression, and even asthma.
In the United States, methamphetamine use remains a serious and growing public health issue, especially in certain regions. Unlike other drugs that have surged in waves, like opioids or crack cocaine, meth has persisted over decades, evolving with new production methods, distribution routes, and user populations.
