Are Japan's Stars Getting a Free Pass on Drug Use?

Recent days have seen two Japanese entertainment stars arrested for drug offenses, and voices are now being raised claiming the entertainment world is getting a free pass when it comes to banned substances. On Aug. 3, 31-year-old actor Manabu Oshio was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department for possession of the artificial narcotic MDMA, or Ecstasy. A few days later on Aug. 7, an arrest warrant for actress Noriko Sakai was issued for violations of the Stimulants Control Law, and the 38-year-old actress turned herself in the following day.

Entertainment world drug arrests have been making the headlines for the past week, but the problem goes further back. In 2007 Akira Akasaka, a former member of the pop group Hikaru Genji, was arrested for violations of the Stimulants Control Law, as was actor Taishu Kase last year. And, in April this year, actor Shunta Nakamura was apprehended on suspicion of Cannabis Control Law violations.

At first glance, it would appear that drug use is rampant in the entertainment world. According to the National Police Agency, of the 38 people on average arrested daily in 2008 for narcotics, cannabis and stimulant violations, the number of suspects related to the entertainment business is unknown. The media uproar surrounding the arrest of a famous person leaves such incidents imprinted on the public memory, and as entertainers have social influence, the authorities aim to make them an example and put extra effort into such investigations.

"Even so, they are spoiled," says veteran entertainment reporter Masaru Nashimoto. "There are many examples of stars arrested for drug use making easy comebacks that would be unthinkable for regular people. It looks like (those in the entertainment world) believe that they have special rights, that they think: 'We're OK. Society will forgive us.'

"To improve the situation, what if their talent agencies instituted surprise inspections?" Nashimoto suggests.

The peak of the 1960s counterculture and the hippy movement, which favored marijuana as its drug of choice, has been pointed to as one issue when drug use and the arts have overlapped. In the present era, however, society's response to drug scandals involving celebrities has been remarkably harsh.

"With the advent of the Internet and mobile phones, news now spreads much faster than it ever has before," a manager at one talent agency says. "If there's a scandal with a star now, the damage is immense if the talent agency doesn't move quickly to get a handle on the situation."

Masahisa Aizawa, president of Noriko Sakai's talent agency Sun Music, has held numerous news conferences since the actress's disappearance and subsequent arrest. Oshio's agency, Avex Management, declared on its Web site just prior his arrest that they had cancelled their contract with the actor for "conduct violating his contract," and, following his arrest, called the situation "extremely regrettable."

(Source: Mainichi )