crime

Actor Akira Shimizu apologizes for son’s arrest for using stimulant drugs

24 Comments

Akira Shimizu, an actor and celebrity impressionist, apologised at a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday night after his son Ryotaro, 29, was arrested earlier in the day on suspicion of violating the Stimulants Control Law.

Shimizu, 63, said, “I am deeply sorry that my son, Ryotaro Shimizu, has caused a scandal in society and a huge inconvenience to everyone. I am terribly sorry.”

The press conference was held in front of Shimizu’s home, where he tearfully answered questions from the media following the arrest of Ryotaro, also an impressionist, Fuji TV reported.

Shimizu said, “I wish I could just call my son a fool and have nothing to do with him...but we are a family.”

Ryotaro was questioned on Tuesday after a woman, believed to be a prostitute, called police at around 1:40 p.m. from a love hotel in Ikebukuro, saying she had been made to take drugs by a man. Police went to the hotel and detained Ryotaro for voluntary questioning, as he was leaving in a car. Later Tuesday, he was taken to his agency where his older brother was waiting for him to take him home.

He was arrested on Wednesday after an analysis of his urine tested positive for stimulants.

Police said that at first, Ryotaro denied the charge but on Thursday, he admitted to using stimulants since late September.

On Friday morning, he was sent to prosecutors.

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24 Comments
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I am deeply sorry that my son will get a suspended sentence for a crime that regular people would go to jail for

8 ( +12 / -4 )

At 29, that's a grown man. Why should his father apologize? Unless he bought him the drugs, he has nothing to do with it.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

For all you westerners wondering why the father of a grown man has to weigh in on this in front of the cameras and say sorry for the meiwaku, read The Analects of Confucius. Seriously, east is east and west is west...

-13 ( +3 / -16 )

Well at least his daughter didn’t do it, or we’d be watching her shave her head, scorn herself, and fake cry into the cameras.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Oh and uhhhh, is not prostitution also illegal? Oh what it is??? So well then why isn’t there also an issue about.....oooh yeah everyone does it here so it’s cool.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Why should his dad apologise?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Well if dad apologizes then he has to go free right?

So what if he is almost 30 and should know better,daddy to the rescue!!

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Similar happened when the rapist son of an Idol was arrested his mum did the cry bow apologies...(que harp music) he was released. Same will happen in this case it's called duel justice system. A good blubber from a minor celebrity is worth years of jail time for us mortals.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Okay everyone, relax.

If parents feel they have to apologize for their wayward adult sons and daughters, even if it's fake tears or whatever, at least it shows that society has certain expectations. Yet another sign of the low tolerance for drugs in Japan.

And the police believed a prostitute enough to go and investigate? In my country, never.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Why apologise - the idiot son is 29 and old enough to apologise for himself

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Shimizu, 63, said, “I am deeply sorry that my son, Ryotaro Shimizu, has caused a scandal in society and a huge inconvenience to everyone. I am terribly sorry.”

It's only a scandal in the eyes of the media. Probably dozens of regular people are busted for the same thing every day around the country. Likewise, the ulterior motive for this apology is an appeal to the judge in question to be lenient, and the judge will willingly oblige as is invariably the case when celebrities and their children are involved.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

... it’s called duel justice system.”

Pistils at dawn?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

How about that prostitute, huh? I mean, kudos for calling the cops on the man who made her deliver drugs, but I wouldn't be surprised if she and that man who sold the drugs both have the same employer.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

read The Analects of Confucius. Seriously, east is east and west is west... actually a better read to understanding this mentality is, "The Asian Mind Game" by Chin-Ning Chu

0 ( +0 / -0 )

And the police believed a prostitute enough to go and investigate? In my country, never. yet in some first world countries Australia/Netherlands prostitution is legal and regulated, meaning women are off the streets in the brothels, regularly tested for STD and safer for them as the have security minders for violent customers. Very little downside to legalized prostitution. You will never stop people bumping uglys.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@wtfJapan

I'm from Canada. Prostitution is not legal there, and, as far as I know, Canada is considered a "first world country."

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I'm from Canada. Prostitution is not legal there, and, as far as I know, Canada is considered a "first world country."

Selling sex is legal in Canada:

Current laws on prostitution in Canada, introduced in 2014, make it illegal to purchase sexual services but legal to sell them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Canada

The prostitution itself appears to be legal, it's the availing of those services that is illegal.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The father apologizes because the son has caused damage to the whole family's reputation. Sadly it's connected to the way of thinking when a parent feels he/she can no longer support his/her family (for financial or other reasons) and then kills his/her spouse, children, and him/herself believing it's better to ensure that none of them will be a burden on anyone else.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I simply can't get the logic that selling sex is legal but purchasing it is illegal. No one's going to sell something if no one is buying them! Or is it me who can't grasp the logic of things?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Drugs and whores for lunch eh!

> Sounds like a Happy Meal (Set) to me!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"Actors, and hookers, and meth, Oh My!"

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

All I hear when I hear or read about these types of stories is :

"Hey everyone! I'm famous! My child did something that you regular people would be swiftly put in jail for, but with my apology, please let him go because I'm famous! Remember..........I'm famous! Oh yeah, I have to cry.......hold on......!"

There should not be a separate justice system for the rich and famous regardless of who did what. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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