A former member of KAT-TUN, an all-male idol group, has been sentenced to 16 months in prison after being found guilty of violating the Stimulants Control Law.
The Chiba District Court on Tuesday convicted Koki Tanaka, 37, who had pleaded guilty to possessing stimulants, Kyodo News reported. Tanaka was arrested last year, just nine days after he was convicted and given a suspended sentence for a similar crime earlier in the year.
The court heard that Tanaka was acting in a “suspicious manner” outside Kashiwa Station at around 10 p.m. on June 30. Prosecutors did not specify what Tanaka was doing, but said that he tried to avert the gaze of police officers as they approached him. He was found to be in possession of a plastic bag containing stimulants.
The arrest came after the Nagoya District Court convicted Tanaka on June 21 and sentenced him to 20 months in prison, suspended for three years.
In that case, after Tanaka checked out of his hotel room in Nagoya on Jan 30, around 0.164 grams of methamphetamine were found by a cleaning worker. At the time, he was in Nagoya for a live concert and was staying at the business hotel. He was arrested on Feb 24.
The judge handed Tanaka a suspended sentence, saying the singer had shown regret for his actions, and urged him to seek help in order to stay off drugs.
Tanaka was a member of KAT-TUN from 2001 until 2013. He was arrested once before, in May 2017, for possession of marijuana but was not indicted.
© Japan Today
28 Comments
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David Brent
Does he not make much money, or something? Seems weird such a person would be staying in a Toyoko Inn or something.
Yubaru
Sure took long enough for the sentence to be handed down. Why am I surprised that there was a follow up article about this guy? He's a nobody now, no need to give him any love anymore.
Rodney
Don’t do Meth. It will destroy your life.
tamanegi
16 months? This re-offender should have been sentenced and incarcerated for a minimum of three to five years.
Good
Does he not make much money, or something? Seems weird such a person would be staying in a Toyoko Inn or something.
Toyoko Inn has an awesome breakfast spread
Dango bong
are drugs that great? I kind of enjoy not being high
smithinjapan
I don't know... on the one hand, I'm surprised they actually jailed him; I thought for sure they'd find a way to suspend it again despite the law stating that one commits another crime during a suspended sentence they have to serve the original plus any time for the new. That said, the original suspended sentence was for 20 months, we was caught doing it AGAIN, and now he only serves 16?
finally rich
Actually unless you are sick, dont do any drug. Nothing good comes from doing drugs.
Cant see the point either.
Literally a 1000s of things to do with your life to feel good but you have to do something that destroys you inside while jeopardizing your own freedom, talk about desperation to flee from reality.
Stephen Chin
Koki Tanaka should not be sent to prison for twenty months! When released he will most likely continue his drug-taking!!
Koki Tanaka could be and should be sent to reform school for a couple of months. When released he will surely give up drug-taking.
Mr Kipling
Thank God. We need to protect the youth of today from this junky terror.
Moonraker
Maybe depends on the drug. Could be you see and feel reality better.
Fighto!
Just say "NO" to drugs!
It's as simple as that. No way I'm putting any of that nonsense in my body.
Stick to the good stuff that's perfectly legal : sake, whiskey, beer, wine, shochu...and the rest!
Garthgoyle
Showing regret for his actions won't help. Jail him for a while but also give him the rehab help he needs. Otherwise, he'll be back to the bottom of being a drug addict.
MilesTeg
Meth is highly addictive and utterly destroys the mind and body. It's a powerful drug. Best to avoid it. But making sweeping statements against all drugs is hypocritical. How many railing against all illegal drugs drink alcohol which has been proven to be as deleterious or worse than some illegal drugs. But because it's 'legal' it's okay to endorse. Alcohol is involved in severe addiction (ever heard of AA), violence and abuse, physical and mental illnesses, and has destroyed many lives.
Silvia truly
Toyoko Inn has an awesome breakfast spread
I don't think speed freaks are breakfast people!
Mark
Make am example out of him this time, 16 months is too light of a sentence since it's his second offence.
Kids and fans are watching this thinking oh is that all!? No Problem I'll be out is less than two years.
Shivaji
I think it is a little harsh to jail him for so long. For example Seungri in Korea was jailed for 18 months over drugs and sex trafficking. Drugs is alone a health problem if he was just using them IMO.
blue in green
He broke the law, but he needs rehab, imo.
After that, courts can discuss his “payment” to society.
wallace
Meths destroy people.
Moonraker
Your "meths", wallace: is that methamphetamine or methylated spirits?
wallace
The article is about.........?
didou
I have my legal alcohol to maintain my liver.
Meth is dangerous and addictive. Marijuana is less dangerous and ,unless having a daily habit, not addictive.
Mr Kipling
Say no to drugs and yes to exceedingly good cakes.
Strangerland
Because imprisonment is the correct method of dealing with a health issue, right? And prison will heal the health issue, which is why we see the war on drugs winding down, and working, right?
Some people want to double down on stupid.
yakyak
I agree 100 percent
diagonalslip
Strangerland
The above paragraph was poorly written, as it appears to be referring to the current case, whereas it would seem from the context of the article that it was referring to the case from the preceding paragraph:
He actually has been imprisoned this time.