Nori-P Busted

The latest casualty of Japan’s stepped-up war against drugs is former idol singer Noriko Sakai, better known to her fans throughout Asia as “Nori-P.”

Sakai’s husband, Yuichi Takaso, a self-proclaimed pro surfer, was stopped on a Tokyo street Aug. 3 and found to have “stimulant drugs,” which usually means methamphetamine, in his underwear.

Sakai, who was reportedly in a car nearby, was questioned by police at the scene and asked to submit to a urine test. She then disappeared for several days, during which police searched her apartment and found trace amounts of drug residue and paraphernalia.

A warrant was issued for her arrest.

She turned herself in on the night of Aug. 8 and reportedly admitted to the police allegations. Ever since she debuted in the mid-1980s, Sakai has had the image of a pure-hearted, clean-living young woman.

Over the years, as her records have sold well in Taiwan, Hong Kong and even mainland China, she has been asked to be the spokesperson for various public causes, including an anti-drug campaign in the early ’90s.

Her marriage in 1998 to Takaso is generally believed to be a “dekichatta” (marriage after getting pregnant) affair, and like many people who entered Japanese show biz at a very early age, she is the product of a broken home.

In fact, it’s been reported that her late father and brother were both gangsters.

Since the arrest, Sakai has lost all her promotional deals and was let go by her management agency.