entertainment

Noriko Sakai to make comeback in December

25 Comments

Three years after she was arrested for drugs, actress-singer Noriko Sakai, 41, will return to showbiz in December.

Sakai, who is popularly known as "Nori-P," was convicted of drug use in 2009 and received a suspended sentence, which expires at the end of November.

Sakai will return to the stage as the main character in a story about the Sengoku era, Sports Nippon reported.

The last time Sakai appeared in the theater as a main character was back in 1988 when she was the heroine of a musical.

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25 Comments
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@presto345

Come on who are we kidding here. How do you know that she wasn't a hard core user? She was hard core partier, she even admitted that. Her cell phone (which she broke and threw away) was full of names/numbers of dealers. The very act of destroying evidence by trashing her phone and cutting and dyeing her hair to cover up drug traces, is a huge felony.

She was never incarcerated, she showed remorse and now gets a second chance.

Oh REALLY?? So if I used drugs and destroyed evidence, as long I "show remorse" then its all good? REALLY? That's the way things work?

The reality is she IS a junkie...she belongs behind bars with her junkie husband, and the real and only victim is her son! The Nori-P leg humpers really need to learn what the realities in life are and stop supporting these convicts just because they were celebrities

0 ( +0 / -0 )

She should be in prison, as would the rest of us norms if we had committed the same crime

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This woman wasn't a street junkie, she wasn't peddling drugs. She broke the law, yes. She was arrested for possession which is a felony in Japan. She was never incarcerated, she showed remorse and now gets a second chance. Who is in a position to deny her that?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

It's a celeb's job to take drugs - leave the woman in peace.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

the message would be in japan it doesnt matter if you're a superstar, when caught you get the same treatment as a street junkie by birth ? which should be ... good, more or less, no ? The difference she still gets to keep celeb status when coming out and a chance to make money from it

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It has been decided that she will make her comeback. All the heads of the five families, who have come from as far away as Kobe and Shimonoseki, have gotten together to put aside Noripi's censure and to dedicate themselves to work through the usual channels to ensure her becoming dai-ninki very soon.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

She has paid her dues. Good luck to her.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I really don't mind her coming back, but I probably would hate it when all the entertainment news start reporting Nori-P this, Nori-P that again...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

so you think someone who who did a couple of years for smoking weed shouldn't be able to re asimilate back into society? what would you have them do then? and you question my morals and values because I happen to know them? sounds like you need a job in Japanese government, you would fit right in.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

@Jbeezy Smith's right. "regular ppl" as you refer to, do not do drugs and do not peddle them either. The people you know personally who were done for it demonstrate the sort you hang out with and where you get your values from. It's doubtful any of them will be fully assimilated into society as if it never happened (don't they have a criminal record to declare?) and neither should 'Nori-P'....but she is, isn't she?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@smith it's not the fact that she's a celebrity. I personally know 3Japanese guys and one foreigner that were cought, convicted and jailed for drugs here. they did their time and are now re asimilated back into society. my point is whether you are a fan of nori p, (I'm not I could care less about her) or not. why isn't she able to get back to doing what she does to earn a living? she was crucified by the media, her industry shunned her for three years, and blowhards like some folks above have completely written her off. isn't that enough?? what else do y'all want? ppl make mistakes celebs and 'regular' ppl like us.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Jbeezy: "you guys with your holier than thou narrow minded attitudes. smh. she got caught, paid her "debt to society". now she wants to move on. why can't you?? get over yourselves."

Because any non-celebrity who did the same thing would still be in prison, and would never be able to rise in the nation again after being released. Oh, but this time it's Nori-P -- who had people outside the courtroom screeching in her defense, so it's okay! I think the 'holier than thou' excuse for defending criminals is really just a knee-jerk reaction for defending criminal celebrities.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

So long as you don't bother anybody else, drugs are okay.

Small minded, selfish and wrong. No drug use happens in a harmless vacuum. Wake up.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I know she has quite a number of fans but I wonder if the show biz as a whole will really accept her comeback. Guess we'll see!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Didn't see this coming a billion miles off.

Welcome back, Shabu-P.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

So long as it's a celebrity, drugs are okay.

No. So long as you don't bother anybody else, drugs are okay. I don't remember anyone who mattered upset about any of the above doing drugs, except the police.

I honestly don't understand why it is so difficult for some people in this world to simply MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS!

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I don't think her arrest was because she did drugs. Her husband and his brother were selling drugs,and got caught.She went on the lam with them . When they got caught ,she was arrested as an accessory to selling and distributing drugs ,even though she didn't do it .She just covered up for her husband .

I think that's the story . She didn't have to clean up ,just finish serving her suspended. sentence . She's lucky she's gotten hired again at all,as an arrest there,usually ruins your career,permanently .

5 ( +6 / -1 )

you guys with your holier than thou narrow minded attitudes. smh. she got caught, paid her "debt to society". now she wants to move on. why can't you?? get over yourselves.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

The last time Sakai appeared in the theater as a main character was back in 1988 when she was the heroine of a musical.

Accidentally read that as heroin.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

She's cleaned up and laid off the meth pipe then? Jolly good. We should all forget it and move on. Not.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

So long as it's a celebrity, drugs are okay.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

She should make a film about her junkie life. I bet it would be popular along with eliciting sympathy for her.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

You can almost hear the collective sigh of relief over Japan.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

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