Sakai Gets an 18 Month Sentence for Drug Abuse November 16
Asian pop star and actress Noriko Sakai now faces 18 months in jail with a 3 year suspension for her drug use according to the ruling of the Tokyo District Court. The charges stem from her arrest in August of this year a week after her husband Yuicho Takaso was discovered in a public park bathroom with stimulants. The actress went into hiding for a week after the incident with her ten year old son and then later turned herself in. Her drug use it appears has been ongoing for the last two years. Her husband stated in court that Sakai had become an addict and Saki pleaded guilty to charges in court at her own trial. Prosecution demanded the 18 month sentence as a result and the court complied.
The trial drew the focus of the public and over 3,000 people made a bid to get one of the 20 seatings available to the public during the trial. The trial has drawn intense levels of media scrutiny since Sakai’s arrest as she is known on the Asian world for her wholesome pop star image. The star’s career began in the 80sa when she was a teen and had successfully merged into an acting career as she grew older. Sakai is known for her achieving the very unusual precedent of being successful in both China and Japan. Only time will tell if thus drug scandal will hurt the star’s career, though in many places fans say they stand by the star.
Tags: celebrity subsntace abuse, drugs, japan, meth, noriko sakai, pop star, sakai