Shiatsu Kush

Relaxation is the common thread in the accounts of Shiatsu Kush, but beyond that they clearly contradict one another. Some consumers describe a clear head, focus and creativity, while others found the strain heavy and sedating to the point of couch lock. The line originates from the Japanese island of Amami Ōshima and reached North America via the Canadian seed vendor BC Bud Depot; its parent strains are unknown.

Community Experiences:

Besides relaxation, the reports repeatedly mention euphoria, uplifted mood and drowsiness. Individual consumers additionally describe giggling, a tingling in the body or a noticeable burst of energy, which contrasts with the sedating accounts. Several reports place the onset of the effect in the head first, before it is said to move on to the body.

As side effects, consumers name dry mouth, dry eyes and dizziness. Paranoia, forgetfulness and tiredness are mentioned in isolated cases; one report describes sweating and a racing heart, another initial nervousness that only subsided after a while.

Two grow reports refer to seeds from BC Bud Depot. In one of them, 3 different phenotypes developed, including one with looser flowers and a sweet-sour smell; the grower describes the remaining buds as dense and hard. The other report mentions hermaphroditism.

Genetics and Origin:

According to BC Bud Depot's account, the company travelled to Japan to meet, in secret, the underground breeders who had developed Shiatsu Kush on Amami Ōshima. They did not disclose the exact lineage. One strain description lists the strain as an Asian line from Japan crossed with an unknown hybrid. A newspaper report from Spokane in the US state of Washington from 2020 attributes its spread in North America to breeders from British Columbia.

The sources disagree on classification. One strain description and the newspaper report give 50 % indica and 50 % sativa, another speaks of a balanced hybrid. A third description, which lists the strain under the short name Shiatsu, instead classifies it as indica-dominant with 85 % indica and 15 % sativa.

According to strain descriptions, Shiatsu Kush won Gold at the JCA Awards in Japan, and High Times magazine included it in its Top 10 Strains of 2012. As a parent it appears in Cherry Heaven by Full Spec Genetics, in Nakatomi Doja by Lucky 13 Seed Company and in Full Brekkie and Nakahama by The Horticulture Company.

Aroma and Flavor:

One strain description summarizes the scent as pine, vanilla and cedarwood, another puts earth in place of the pine. A third compares it to sweetened lemon herbal tea with a light spiciness. In flavor, descriptions name tropical fruit, honey and berries. Consumers add nutty and earthy notes, pine with citrus or mango. A mint note stands out: one user report speaks of a minty taste, the 2020 newspaper report of wintergreen and menthol over a hint of cedarwood. Strain descriptions name myrcene as the leading terpene, and one of them lists limonene and caryophyllene behind it.

THC and CBD Content:

The figures in strain descriptions differ widely. One gives 23 % THC and 1 % CBG, another 18 % THC and 1 % CBD, a third 12 to 15 % THC with 1.5 to 3 % CBD. Two consumers state 28.7 % and 33.4 % THC for their flowers, without naming a lab or the origin of the measurement.

Cultivation:

BC Bud Depot offered Shiatsu Kush only as regular seeds; this vendor did not offer a feminized variant. For the BC Bud Depot version, 8 weeks of flowering under artificial light are stated; other descriptions give 50 to 56 days, 56 to 63 days or 8 to 9 weeks. Outdoors, harvest is set for late September, while another description gives mid-October.

According to descriptions, the plants grow tall and form broad leaves. Two descriptions rate cultivation as easy and name dry, sunny locations as preferred, one of them explicitly mentioning a Mediterranean climate. The same source attributes resistance to mold and powdery mildew to the strain and notes that it responds well to training methods.