The recent headline-making police search and arrest of actress and pop star Noriko Sakai shocked fans both at home and abroad and cast a harsh spotlight on "kakuseizai," or stimulants, which she and her husband allegedly used.
Sakai's husband, Yuichi Takaso, 41, was arrested Aug. 3 in possession of the drug, which is derived from either amphetamines or methamphetamines. She and her 10-year-old son apparently disappeared the same day, although the boy was later found at the home of an acquaintance.
A search later turned up a small amount of stimulants at Sakai's home in Tokyo's Aoyama district. Her husband lives at a different location.