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“I don’t know the details about the incident. I’ve been avoiding the TV. After what my own family did, do you think I’d be able watch anything?”
The comment was made by the older sister of Manabu Oshio, indicted in August on charges of illegal drug use and who was released on bail on Monday. Throughout the interview with Shukan Post, the woman, accompanied by her husband, did not hide her anger and bitterness.
“I have my own family to consider. I don’t plan on visiting him. Since this incident, I haven’t been in touch with my parents either. And who knows what kind of nonsense you media people are going to write about us?”
The woman’s anger seemed to be turned toward the relentless, daily media coverage more than her brother. She was clearly outraged by previous reports on her brother’s divorce from Akiko Yada, and descriptions about the actress’ relationship with Oshio’s parents. Magazine articles had published that the sister and brother were very close and spoke in English at home, that the sister taught Oshio to play the guitar, and described the father as a big mouth, etc.
“Look, I don’t even know how to play the guitar. And my father’s supposed to be pompous. I just don’t care any more. Write whatever you want. No one’s going to bother with the truth no matter what I say.”
When asked what the "truth" was, the sister said, “Please talk with the lawyer. All I can say is that I saw my brother during New Year’s. I don’t see him that often, and there seemed to be nothing unusual about him. He didn’t look like he was on drugs. And Yada wasn’t there… Either way, I haven’t contacted my parents since the incident and living with him after his release is out of the question. All of us have our own families.”
Asked again about her knowledge of the drug incident, the woman said she has no idea and couldn’t possibly comment. But her sentiment as the actor’s sibling was expressed through the following comment: “Family is always family. For us, nothing changes the kinship. Just like any other family, we will be there to support him through the trial."
Oshio’s bail implies that he will be charged for the use of narcotics and not, in relation to the woman who died, for negligence as a guardian resulting in death. But according to a reporter of legal affairs at a national newspaper, the police will continue investigating how the drugs had been procured, since the amount of cocaine found at the deceased woman’s apartment was considerably more than for purposes of personal use. The investigation is likely to involve the entire entertainment industry, and as for Oshio himself, it’s likely he’ll get a suspended sentence of 1 to 2 years.
Deserted by his ex-wife and ostracized by the Roppongi Hills clique who had been his sponsors, the only people Oshio is going to be able to count on will be his sister and parents.
© Japan Today
29 Comments
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northlondon
Which, after the death of that girl and his lies to the prosecutors, would be an outright disgrace.
tkoind2
Maybe his sister should be more worried about the pathetic example uncle is playing for her kids. You can't help if family does something terrible. But you can own up to it and say "I love him, he is my brother, but what he did was terribly wrong and he has to accept his responsibility." But guess we won't be hearing that from her.
As for him getting away with this. Japan shame on you, your pathetically corrupt and backwards legal system, the apologetic public who so easily dismiss the crimes of the famous and everyone else for not standing up and demanding a proper and just legal system to replace the current one.
Once again Japan proves it is far from first tier in the development of nations, a medieval state with 21st century gadgets.
Damien15
Don't think so. He had nothing to do with the death of the hostess.
tkoind2
Damien15. And just how do you arrive at such a morally bankrupt position?
If someone falls ill and you are the only one there, who do you think has responsibility to act in the appropriate manner and call for help? A moral person would feel responsible to assist and help a person in distress. In many places around the world total strangers will stop to help someone who falls ill in the street. This is the humane and moral thing to do.
Now our friend here was ok to be naked and taking drugs with this girl. But when she fell ill this little toad's thoughts went from sex and ecstacy to career loss and bad press. He has the presence of mind to call his manager but not to call an ambulance?!?
So let's be clear. You, I and anyone else has the moral responsiblity to act when someone is in distress. If we fail to do so out of ignorace it is sad and shameful. But failing out of self pitty and career preservation is unforgivable.
Maybe you live in a world where people don't care about others, but the rest of us live in world and with morals that give us certain responsibilities as citizens of the modern world. The day may come when you fall ill and only fast action by a charitable and responsible soul will stand between you and death. Let us hope that they have the humanity to act and that you are not left to die by someone who just does not give a crap about you because they are too self absorbed to care about anyone else.
This guy should rot in hell for what he failed to do.
Valmain
Oh. You mean her cracked ribs happened from sleeping on the wrong side?
I'm not saying he killed her maliciously, but I think: they were both high, she was having a bad trip and started having breathing trouble (not unheard of on 2 ecstasy tabs). He thinks he knows what he's doing because he's seen CPR in the movies, so he gives it a try and cracks a rib, sending her into shock, and then she dies.
northlondon
Unfortunately for him, seeing as he was the only person in the apartment with her and seeing as he didn't call his manager (not the ambulance) for 3 hours and seeing as he has lied to the police, yes he certainly had. Any half-witted prosecutor would bang him away without much trouble.
biglittleman
Man! She kept it real. "My brother might be a scum bag I don't know but he is still family and I will always love him. And the media are liars!"
What I am personally curious about is "How I can get get one of those sponsors on my team?" A Brother would like to get a new apartment.
magpie
You know guys, whilst I have no sympathy for him, I have a lot of respect for his sister. She's right, family is family and as the saying goes, blood is thicker than water. If the piece of trash that is Oshio Manabu is to have any hope of rehabilitation, he'll need all the support he can get and it starts with family.
Being ostracized from the roppongi folk may not be a bad thing for him. Maybe he'll realize what friends mean and who they are. Society has an obligation to rehabilitate people and let's hope he's learned his mistakes.
gogogo
What a complete and utter waste of time and they even admit it that he wont get jail time.
timorborder
Bit of admiration for this woman for realizing that blood is blood and for sticking by her brother, irrespective of his character. Also like the bxlls she displays in taking on the media head-on and trying to set the record straight regarding some of the fanciful bxllshit that is being thrown around.
Jkanda
Well it is the same old thing again. The hostess is a poor woman, and so no one cares about her or her family. What a pathetic world.
usaexpat
His sister has a right to be annoyed, as always it's trial by media and public oppinion.
TokyoGas
Sounds like a dealer's home or a place where the rich were able to party away from prying eyes. Move along, nothing to see here.
biglittleman
If I am correct the apartment wasn't the deceased woman's apartment. It belong to one of Oshio's friends. The president of a company and a member of that Roppongi Hills cligue. They let him and maybe others use for partying. It doesn't take much to find the owner and realize they probably had something to do with that cocaine. That is why the clique has shunned away from Oshio. If Sakai can be charged for possession of such a small amount then the owner of the apartment should go down too.
None of that could be blamed on the woman.
guest
Exactly how much coke was found? Enough for everyone in Tokyo, or everyone partying Japan wide? Enough for how many nights? Who will be charged for the coke? Maybe it was the dead girls, cant they find a foreigner...
The keystones worry about people with .5 of a gram of personal weed or ,0008 of drugs, but the huge busts are never made, ever. Yaks run Japan, and j-cops are their lackeys. Hey Yaks, raise the minimum wage, you could sell more drugs...
tkoind2
So what if blood is thicker than water. If my sibling allowed someone to die to protect his/her career I would be the first on saying "Hey you did something terrible. I love you, but you have to make this right somehow."
We can love someone while still making it clear to them that he/she has done something terribly wrong. And we can stand by someone better by helping them face the consequences than by blindly protecting him/her.
Responsiblity is a dying social value. The defenders of this guy are leading the charge to do away with this important value.
If you do something wrong and stupid, you need to be ready to live out the consequences. This guy can only be rehabilitated if he learns 1. That what he did was wrong. 2. That he shares responsibility for that girl's death. 3. That human life must come before personal agenda. 4. That celebrity does not free you from consequences.
Nothing short of this will help him be a better person.
fds
the fact that he tried to give cpr seems to indicate that she may already have been dead at the time. we don't know how quickly she died and i don't think he would have tried cpr unless she had no heart beat and was not breathing. if she was dead, calling the ambulance would not have been particularly useful, especially considering that ambulances take a long time to come here and even when they do, they may not have been able to find a hospital to take her in anyway. in which case, what's the difference between waiting a couple of hours? easy to armchair quarterback what he should or shouldn't have done in that situation after the fact. in fact, he shouldn't have gotten himself into that situation in the first place but that's another story. at least his sister sounds like she has her head on straight.
Mittsu
Seems like this hostess was also dealing on the side. Who are the memebrs of thsi "Roppongi Hills clique that supported him"? I know the founder of Peach John has been mentioned, but who else?
USNinJapan2
tkoind2
Bravo to your posts above.
noypikantoku
Manabu should accept the fact that he is a public figure , so you can't blame the media, he should realize that before entering showbiz and before doing this stupid acts, he is not a teenager celebrity when this incident happened , he is matured enough to know the risks of his actions and should be prepared in case something goes wrong, but he was acting so manly but deep inside is an ignorant vegetable boy!!! the media is the only hope to watch over and get a fair justice , for his sister , she has the right to be mad but all of these things are happening because her brother is stupid and selfish and now he should go to Jail!!!!! it's better for her to just shut her mouth and stay away from media , giving comments will put their family more on shame!!! This idiot should be punished!!! kill him if necessary!
onewrldoneppl
i guess the media were hoping she would dougeza & then harakiri herself ... ha ha ha. or spout some venomous soundbites against her brother which, they could replay ad nauseum for higher ratings. too bad, so sad for them ... ha ha ha. go chase an ambulance, you bloodsuckers!
onewrldoneppl
i guess the media were hoping she would dougeza & then harakiri herself ... ha ha ha. or spout some venomous soundbites against her brother which, they could replay ad nauseum for higher ratings. too bad, so sad for them ... ha ha ha. go chase an ambulance, you bloodsuckers!
bobbafett
why do people give a damn about a drug using prostitute as if she is some innocent victim who was killed out of naivety at the hands of the evil and masterful Oshio?
Oshio is also a victim. Oshios wallet fell victim to the womans fatal charms and he himself was lucky to escape with his life after meeting a such a dangerous prostitute that could seduce him and have him participate in illicit drug taking.
I think too many people here think Japanese woman are dumb and innocent and Japanese men are cruel abusers. In this case she is the cruel user. She left her husband and family for money which she got by selling herself to stupid, lustful men and by enticing them to take drugs, obviously on their tab too.
She was as bad a person as those woman who yell Chikan, then their boyfriend steps in to confirm a groping and extortion takes place. she was the same parasitic, narcissistic, greedy, scum.
noypikantoku
Bobbafet: Because she's a human Being , how sure are you that you"re perfect??? Atleast she does this to herself only, without causing any other people troubles, The point here is not her back ground , it's your responsibility as a human being , if there's a person dying right beside you especially in your place, it's common sense to call for help.. so you mean to say , Hospitals for you are just for people who are living a clean life, because people who are on drugs doesnt deserve to be saved... Manabu Oshio a victim!!?? are you out of your mind??? All he has to do is to dial the number and say "theres a sick person in my apartment please pick her up now, emergency!" this simple things and it will mean a lot to everybody involved with this incident,if the girl survived and rescued maybe this will be a lesson for her and a good reason to straight her life and become a better person , we are talking about life here! but what did he do!??? instead he was more worried about his non sense carreer , Just a simple phone call man! that's why im very angry about this guy! a simple phone call will save the girl's life and even himself too, so stupid ... for him this girl is just a condom , the reason why this girl had a messed up life is because the guys around her treated her like that , even her ex husband ...
bdiego
She does make one good point. The Japanese media overplay stories to the extreme. Something that'd be on a few clips in the news for 1-2 days gets full time specials for weeks. This really comes down to the business model Japanese news runs on - it's much easier to thoroughly research and eat time with tabloid gossip.
bdiego
bobba, there are two sides each claiming the other supplied the drugs. Everything you've said is purely on an assumption. Big imagination there.
Altria
Apparently the room in question was also frequented by the son of a former PM (Mori), among other powerful figures, which is why it's being covered up.
Meanwhile, Oshio has been partying it up and Ginza and hitting on college girls while out on bail...