Japanese actress Sakai's husband on trial in drug case

Wed Oct 21, 3:43 am ET

TOKYO (AFP) – The husband of disgraced Japanese pop star Noriko Sakai on Wednesday told a court of their drug use, fueling a media frenzy that has gripped the nation since their arrests in August.

Yuichi Takaso, 41, told the Tokyo District Court that he was carrying illegal "stimulants" at the time of his arrest on August 3 because he was planning to use them later with his wife.

Takaso and Sakai reportedly used methamphetamines on a regular basis.

"If I left it at home, I thought that my wife Noriko might use it alone without me watching," he told the court, adding that he was concerned about the dangers posed by Sakai's unsupervised drug use.

"I was thinking that we could meet up later and do it together," he said.

Takaso's arrest eventually resulted in drug charges against 38-year-old Sakai, shocking the Japanese public which has seen her grow from a teenage pop idol to become an actress in high-rating television shows and films.

Further adding to the drama of the case, Sakai, who is also well known in China, Taiwan and South Korea, went on the run for about a week before turning herself in to police on August 8 and admitting to habitual drug use.

More than 1,500 people queued for hours in front of the courthouse to join a lottery for 42 gallery seats to see Takaso, a self-described professional surfer who was unknown to the public before his arrest, testify.

Sakai will have her first court hearing next week, which is likely to attract even more local media interest.

Her enduring fame and girl-next-door image have won her advertising contracts with carmaker Toyota, government public awareness campaigns and a role in a 1993 celebrity-studded commercial against youth drug abuse.