Noriko Sakai Drug Scandal

[Masa]

Noriko Sakai Drug Scandal

On August 4, 2009, Sakai's husband, professional surfer Yuichi Takaso was stopped by Tokyo Metropolitan Police in Tokyo's Shibuya district. Giving Takaso a body search, stimulant drugs were reportedly found in his underwear. Searching Sakai and Takaso's home, more stimulant drugs were reportedly found. As a result, a warrant has been issued for her arrest. Sakai reportedly ignored the request to report to the police voluntarily.

Sakai later disappeared with her 10-year old son. Sakai's mother-in-law asked the police to open a missing persons case, as she hasn't been seen or heard from since her husband's arrest. On the day of the missing persons report being filed, Sakai's cell phone lost signal within the area of Yamanashi, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of Tokyo. Sakai reportedly later dropped her son off with an unnamed friend. On August 6, 2009, car manufacturer Toyota reportedly stopped showing a commercial, featuring Sakai, on its web site.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noriko_Sakai#Drug_scandal

Noriko Sakai's husband picked up for drug possession

Tue, August 4, 2009 (3:38am EDT)

Yuichi Takaso (41), a professional surfer and the husband of singer/actress Noriko Sakai (38), was arrested late on Monday night for drug possession. A police officer on patrol stopped Takaso on a road in Tokyo's Shibuya ward. During his questioning, the cop discovered that Takaso was in possession of illegal stimulants. Takaso, who runs a ski and snowboard shop called Core Side, has been married to Sakai since December 1998. She was pregnant at the time, and she gave birth to a son the following July. Rumors have surfaced in recent years that the pair are in danger of divorcing.

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5111

Noriko Sakai hiding out in Yamanashi?

Wed, August 5, 2009 (5:27am EDT)

Since the arrest of her husband Yuichi Takaso (41) on Monday night, singer/actress Noriko Sakai (38) and her 10-year-old son have been reported missing by her agency and family. Masahisa Aizawa, the president of her agency Sun Music, said that he hasn't been able to contact Sakai by phone or e-mail. She also has not been at her home, leading her relatives to request a missing persons search by the police.

On Wednesday, police stated that they have a lead on Sakai's whereabouts. After Takaso's arrest, Sakai's mobile phone appears to have been shut off. However, it was briefly available on Tuesday night, as its signal was detected near Mt. Minobu in the Yamanashi prefecture. The signal has once again disappeared, though it is unknown whether the phone was turned off or it is currently out of range.

Investigators learned that at the time of Takaso's arrest, Sakai was in a parked car nearby. Her whereabouts after that were unknown, but Wednesday's development seems to be pointing the police in the right direction.

Meanwhile, it was also revealed on Wednesday that Takaso was not officially a professional surfer, as he has called himself. The Japan Pro Surfing Association (JPSA) vehemently stated that Takaso has never been registered as a pro. The organization further remarked that Takaso has never qualified to compete in a tournament in Japan.

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5119

Sakai's son found safe in Tokyo

Thu, August 6, 2009 (11:20am EDT)

The whereabouts of Noriko Sakai (38) remain unknown, but at least her 10-year-old son was found safe on Thursday night. The boy was left in the care of one of Sakai's friends in Tokyo. He is said to be in good health. Sakai and her son had both been missing since Monday, when Sakai's husband Yuichi Takaso (41) was arrested for drug possession on a street in Shibuya. At the time of Takaso's arrest, Sakai was reportedly nearby in a parked car, but she has been unreachable after that.

No signal has been detected from Sakai's cell phone since the arrest, except for a brief time on Tuesday night when it was traced to the vicinity of Mt. Minobu in the Yamanashi prefecture. Sakai's father had been living in Yamanashi until he passed away in a traffic accident in 1989. Police are continuing to search for Sakai in that area.

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5124

Police issue arrest warrant for Noriko Sakai

Fri, August 7, 2009 (1:57am EDT)

The search for singer/actress Noriko Sakai (38) continues, but on Friday, it was revealed that she is now being sought for arrest. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Sakai, suspecting her of possession of the illegal stimulants that her husband, Yuichi Takaso (41), was arrested for earlier this week. Takaso was arrested on Monday, and Sakai has been missing since then. Their 10-year-old son, who was also reported missing, was found safe on Thursday night. He had been left by Sakai in the care of a friend in Tokyo.

As of Friday, police conducted a search of Sakai and Takaso's home, and they confiscated a small amount of the drug that was found there. Based on Takaso's testimony and other evidence, police now believe it likely that Sakai was knowingly in possession of the substance and may have been using it. During the early hours of Monday, August 3, a Shibuya policeman on patrol stopped Takaso for questioning, who was walking on the street. The officer discovered that Takaso was concealing a small bag in his underwear and, after learning that the bag contained drugs, placed Takaso under arrest.

Sakai had been called by phone and arrived at the scene in a car, along with a male acquaintance. She apparently attempted to explain to the officer that the bag contained medicine, but once the cop discovered the drugs and arrested Takaso, Sakai broke into tears.

Sakai was asked to voluntarily go to the police station as well, but she refused. She also refused to take a urine test. She then left with the other man, saying that she was going to leave her son with someone. Since then, Sakai has been missing, but a search request was later filed, apparently by Takaso's mother. Police are currently looking for Sakai around Yamanashi, where the signal from her cell phone was last detected.

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5125

[daigong]

WHoa! Talk about Stand By Your Man

[Saburo]

Sad, sad...  I couldn't imagine something knocking off Kusanagi Tsuyoshi's nekkid romp under the influence but here you go. 

This story reverberates all over Asia.  The image of her in the police car arriving at HQ is going to be everywhere.

[doinkies]

NoriP was one of the last people I would ever imagine being involved in a drug scandal...I've been following this story of her disappearance and I really wanted to believe that she just wanted to hide out from the media for a bit just to process all the shock... I'm not even a huge fan of her but I do like some of her songs and her acting in Hoshi no Kinka so long ago...

I wonder what groink from d-addicts thinks about all of this...

[shadowstar]

A lot of people are hoping his wife isn't going to do anything stupid while she's gone (aka off herself).

[Saburo]

Well, it's over.  For now.

FWIW groink has been Tweeting plenty about this the last few days.

[Masa]

Noriko Sakai case gets more grim

Sat, August 8, 2009 (7:58am EDT)

The Noriko Sakai case continues to evolve by the hour. Within the past day, several new details came to light, including a DNA match linking Sakai to the drugs and the revelation that Sakai and her husband, Yuichi Takaso, had been living separately.

Takaso revealed during questioning that he and Sakai were living apart. Sakai and her son had an apartment in Minami-Aoyama, where police uncovered a small amount of stimulants and a pipe. Takaso told them that the pipe was not his, and acknowledged that Sakai was also using drugs. Police confirmed that by testing some DNA found on the pipe, which matched with Sakai. She will now surely be charged with both possession and use of illegal stimulants.

The unusual relationship between Sakai and Takaso has gathered attention as well. There are some indications that the friend who was taking care of the son may actually be Takaso's mistress. It is said that Sakai was aware of this, as she and the woman had long been friends. They continued their friendship after Takaso's affair, and the son had even developed an attachment to the woman, making her a natural choice for Sakai to leave the son with.

Sakai's activities before her disappearance have also been made public. On Monday after Takaso's arrest, she quickly visited her home to retrieve some luggage. She withdrew several hundred thousand yen from an ATM and purchased a large number of clothes, underwear, and toiletries, indicating that she planned for a long trip. It is not clear whether her shopping was before or after leaving her son in the care of the friend. But Sakai seemed to have left her home in a panic, as police stated that the drugs and paraphernalia in her home were left in an easily discoverable location.

Tokyo police have sent additional investigators to Yamanashi, where Sakai's cell phone signal was last detected on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Sakai made a call from a public pay phone to the friend, asking to hear her son's voice. However, Sakai did not inform the friend of her location.

As the case continues, other details about the actress are coming out. It appears that she recently was showing up to work late, and had an unusual energy. Some who worked with her mentioned that she seemed to have lost weight. It was also mentioned that during a commercial shoot, a tattoo was discovered on Sakai's left ankle, which had to be edited out of the footage. It is not known when she got the tattoo, though the media are highlighting it as further damage to her once "pure" image.

Meanwhile, her current commercials are of course being withdrawn. A 2-disc best album that was scheduled for September 16 has been shelved as well. Ironically, Sakai was also cast as the star of a promotional movie for the recently revived lay judge system in Japan. Naturally, the movie and its accompanying posters have been pulled back.

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5129

Search ends with Sakai's surrender

Sat, August 8, 2009 (3:12pm EDT)

The nearly week-long search for actress Noriko Sakai (38) has finally come to an end. At close to 8:00pm on Saturday night, Sakai showed up at a police station in Tokyo's Bunkyo ward and turned herself in.

Sakai has admitted to the charges of drug possession and use. Earlier this week, police searched her home and found 8 milligrams of stimulants wrapped in aluminum foil. Sakai said that she didn't remember having any drugs in her home, but did not doubt that they were found there. Police also questioned her about her movements after disappearing on Monday, but she said that she did not want to reveal that information.

On Friday afternoon, Sakai's lawyer consulted with police, revealing that the actress wanted to turn herself in. Then on Saturday, about two hours before her arrest, the lawyer again contacted police, notifying them that Sakai had finally decided to surrender herself to the authorities.

Although Sakai has turned up, police believe there may have been another person involved during her disappearance, so they are still investigating the people connected to her.

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5130

[Guchi_Jnr]

This story is bigger than Jackson's death here in Japan..

And for what, a little bit of Coke.. 

[Saburo]

I've had a hard time translating the exact drug at issue: cocaine, meth...  does any article identify it specifically?

Not that it matters in Japan: she'd get hammered by the cops for using greenies.

[Saburo]

OT: I smile at the withdrawal of the greatest hits CD.  She's had more compilations released than any other J-pop artist I can think of: Natural Best (my first Noriko CD), Sentimental Best, Twin Best, Noriko Box, Singles... 

[Guchi_Jnr]

I've had a hard time translating the exact drug at issue: cocaine, meth...  does any article identify it specifically?

Not that it matters in Japan: she'd get hammered by the cops for using greenies.

Sorry, just had a Google, and it wasn't Coke..
They found a whopping 0.008gm of meth in her apartment..

[Saburo]

Thanks.  It's always ID'd in English news articles as "stimulants."  Jeez, isn't that awful dear?

[Masa]

Sakai speaks about drug use, disappearance

Mon, August 10, 2009 (12:29am EDT)

New information is being revealed from Noriko Sakai's questioning by the police. She already admitted using stimulants when she was arrested on Saturday, but now investigators are forming a clearer picture about her drug use and her recent disappearance. Sakai stated that she started around the summer of last year, when her husband, Yuichi Takaso, suggested that they try the stimulants together. During his own separate interrogation, Takaso also stated that he was the one who encouraged Sakai to try the drugs.

According to Sakai, she usually heated the stimulants and inhaled them using a pipe. Investigators had searched her home and seized some paraphernalia, including straws, along with 8 milligrams of the drug wrapped in aluminum foil. Police say that a typical dosage is 30 milligrams, leading them to suspect that what they confiscated is just a remainder from her prior uses. They are currently trying to determine whether Sakai is a habitual user. A urine test conducted after her arrest showed negative results.

Sakai initially refused to speak about her movements during the past week while she was missing. She has now broken her silence, confirming that she had visited Yamanashi, where her cell phone's signal was last detected. However, she was mainly in Tokyo, spending nights in areas such as Shinjuku and Chuo. She also withdrew money twice from an ATM in Tokyo, and sent an envelope with cash to the friend who was taking care of her son.

The actress also explained some of her thoughts during her disappearance. She said she was surprised when she saw on TV that police were looking for her early on, and she began wondering what to do after learning that the mass media were camped outside the police station where Takaso was being held. When news of her arrest warrant went public, she realized how bad the situation was, so she managed to contact her lawyer to talk about turning herself in.

The investigation is still underway, but meanwhile, Sakai's career is quickly unraveling. Her agency appears to be planning to terminate her contract, especially now that the case has been sent to the prosecutor's office, as of Monday morning. Meanwhile, record label Victor Entertainment has made its own move, announcing that it is suspending all sales of Sakai's music. This covers not only the best album that was scheduled for release next month, but also includes taking her past CDs and DVDs off the shelves of retail stores and canceling additional shipments. Digital distribution is also being cut off. This kind of extreme action is rare, but a similar one happened after Tetsuya Komuro was arrested for fraud last November.

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5132

[Masa]

Noriko Sakai suspected of destroying evidence

Mon, August 24, 2009 (2:57am EDT)

New information is constantly being released in the ongoing Noriko Sakai investigation. Some of the details from the past few days suggest that Sakai may have intentionally tried to hide or destroy evidence regarding her drug use before she turned herself in earlier this month. A sample of Sakai's hair was recently sent for drug analysis. Police confirmed that it tested positive, though the results were still weak. But it was also revealed that before her arrest, Sakai had her hair cut, reducing the ability of the analysis to accurately determine her drug history. In addition, Sakai dyed her hair, which could have weakened the results by making the drugs more difficult to detect. Sakai has stated that she only began using the drugs last summer, but her husband Yuichi Takaso has said that they started about four years ago.

Police are also still looking for her missing cell phone, which Sakai claims she threw away because it was damaged and unusable. It is believed that the data on her phone, if recovered, will help identify the sources of the drugs. Meanwhile, Takaso's latest testimony says that the last time he and Sakai used the drugs together was ten days before his arrest on August 3. They and their son had taken a trip to Amami Oshima in the Kagoshima prefecture between July 20 and 30 to observe the solar eclipse. According to Takaso, he had taken some drugs and straws along during the trip.

Takaso has already been formally indicted for drug possession, and is now facing a second charge after the discovery of additional drugs (97 milligrams) at a house in Chiba that belonged to him. It is still not clear whether Sakai will be indicted for the 8 milligrams found in her home, but police may be able to charge her with joint possession of the drugs found at the Chiba house.

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5187

[Saburo]

The headlines on Sankei Sports this morning is almost completely devoted to the story.



Dunno if she's leaving geinoukai.  I can't imagine her being out of the public eye for a year or two.

Japan Today has the story.

[THUNDERDUCK]

TOKYO – Japanese actress Noriko Sakai, once hugely popular in Asia, was convicted of drug use Monday as thousands of people crowded outside the courthouse in anticipation of the verdict.

The Tokyo District Court sentenced 38-year-old Sakai to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, for using and possessing drugs, court spokesman Yoshikazu Ishizawa said. He declined to give further details.

More than 3,000 people thronged the courthouse awaiting the ruling.

Sakai was arrested in August after turning herself in following a weeklong disappearance. She disappeared a day after her husband, Yuichi Takaso, 41, was arrested for drug possession and use. The court is set to hand down a verdict on Takaso later this month.

The couple were accused of using amphetamines. The violation carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, though most first violations bring suspended sentences.

Sakai was popular across Asia — including in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan — in the 1990s because of her songs and TV dramas.

The drug scandal, which has dominated headlines for months in Japan, shattered Sakai's wholesome image. Her commercial deals, including one with Toyota Motor Corp., were canceled. Her record label, Victor Entertainment, also terminated its contract with the star and pulled all her albums and other products from stores nationwide.

In the wake of Sakai's arrest, Japanese authorities have said they will crack down on drug use in the entertainment industry.

[Masa]

Noriko Sakai scandal being made into movie

Wed, November 25, 2009 (1:35am EST)

The deadline for appeal in the Noriko Sakai (38) case passed on Tuesday night, finalizing the 18-month sentence (suspended for 3 years) that she received on November 9. Although the trial is over, the case is still on the media's mind, and an upcoming movie will extend the story for at least a couple more months. Film distributor Psydirec announced that shooting has already started for a movie titled "Setsuna," a semi-documentary about the Sakai scandal. Masao Kasahara is directing the picture, which is based on the book "Sakai Noriko: Kakusareta Sugao" by entertainment reporter Masaru Nashimoto. The lead actress is said to be a former top star of the Takarazuka's Snow Troupe, though the specific name has not yet been publicly revealed. "Setsuna" is expected to be released in January 2010.

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5494

[Ishtar]

A movie...?!
can't just they leave her alone? I know she was a role model and the scandal was disastreous for her image, the company managing her and for last but not least, her family. Japanese society is was too cruel with someone who commited a mistake, nobody can be perfect and despising how much I like idols, their 'perfection' is just the role they have to assume. They are humans b before everything.

I love Noriko Sakai as a singer and actress: that's what I keep with me. And Japan do the same -her work is not related with the scandal she is involved- instead point at her like a pest and take away her stuff from the stores.

[sh15uya]

Movie on Noriko Sakai gets new lead

Monday 30th November, 06:43 AM JST

TOKYO —

Show biz reporter Masaru Nashimoto, 64, was dealt a surprise blow recently when the leading lady for his upcoming film on disgraced actress-singer Noriko Sakai, “Setsuna,” announced the day before the press conference that she would be pulling out of the role.

Based on a book Nashimoto released last month and scheduled to hit cinemas in late January, “Setsuna” was to feature former Takarakuza star Emao, 42, as Sakai, 38, amid the events leading up to her arrest for possession and use of illegal stimulants.

However, Emao suddenly called Nashimoto last week and withdrew from the film. The president of her agency said: “Her manager approved her part too quickly. More consideration should have been given as the film covers some serious social issues.”

Director Masao Kasahara, 55, rushed to find a replacement and actress Shion Machida, 37, agreed to the part on the day of the press conference. Nashimoto said: “Sorry about the confusion.”

[LovelyGaki]

Wow a movie? 
I dont think it's right to release a movie about this scandel, and so soon!