Actress Sawajiri given suspended term for drug possession

Of course she was....

She pleaded guilty and showed remorse.

She is an actress for cripes sake!

I believe that drug abuse should be treated as a medical issue and not a criminal one! She should be forced to continue treatment, as it appears as though she has been a user for at least 10 years and she is not going to get cured over night.

I also believe that others like her, meaning the not so rich and famous, get the same sentences as hers!

The fact that other countries are actively researching the therapeutic potential of MDMA and LSD shows just how backward and ignorant the Japanese are on drugs. Both of these drugs have the potential to unleash life-changing positive experiences, for example helping with depression and anxiety. Of course, MDMA and LSD can cause harm if taken to excess. Ohhh, but it's totally fine to slam 5 strong zeros and endanger your and others lives, among other antisocial and bad behaviour that is routinely tolerated in Japan.

To the average Japanese person, there's no difference between her and some junkie shooting up heroin in an alleyway with her baby by her side. Japanese people have some seriously weird views on drugs.

How did they figure out it was blotter acid?

@No Business

Only on drugs ? :D

But all the things you think are weird in Japan can be easily explained with a magic word! "Culture"

Tatoo ban? culture! Racism toward foreign people? Culture! weird view on drugs? Culture! Chikan? hmmm let's say culture too.

About what I expected. She did the remorse thing from the beginning, which is the only card she could play.

Grasping for positives, she didn't go to prison. If she's finished with regular Japanese entertainment for a while, she still has the kind of star power that could be useful for independent films, where none of the producers etc. wiil care about this. Though far less lucrative, it is probably much more rewarding to work there than in regular tv-centered geinokai (entertainment industry).

East Asia needs one country that is safe and allows the party people to party.

East Asia needs one country that is safe and allows the party people to party.

Tokyo. Party animal heaven! Just stick to alcohol!

The fact that other countries are actively researching the therapeutic potential of MDMA and LSD shows just how backward and ignorant the Japanese are on drugs. Both of these drugs have the potential to unleash life-changing positive experiences, for example helping with depression and anxiety.

MDMA for medical/therapeutic purposes is already available in Japan and government has already issued licenses for the import, storage, handling and prescribing of it.

Of course she was....

Why wouldn't she have received a suspended sentence? Were there extenuating circumstances that justified giving her jail time when the average citizen would only get a suspended sentence?

Now if that were you or me who were caught with this drug, we would be lost under the prison system here. Japan has laws for some and laws for others! If you were a well known person, it appears that the law does not apply to you.