While this is a somewhat difficult point to get across, basically, youth in Japan are all talk and no walk when it comes to acts of deviance and actually, that's probably a good thing. Looking around campus at my university I see some very interesting alternative forms of dress. If these people were American's I would assume they were part of a rather serious subculture and probably did something rather illegal from time to time. Getting to know some of these people though, I find that many of them are simply interested in expressing individuality and are, in fact, very well-behaved people.
As with many other American subcultures, the symbols of Marijuana culture in the US have become somewhat popular with young people in Japan. I've seen many T-shirts, bags, and wallets emblazoned with Marijuana-related symbols. I've also seen pot-leaf air fresheners in people's cars and in stores. Once again, in practice, most of these people do not actually partake in the consumption of illicit drugs as doing so in Japan is criminalized to a ridiculous extent. It seems that it is just an expression of the desire to be different.
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