The media has already reported Noriko Sakai and her husband’s abuse of stimulants at their home in Minato Ward as well as their beach house in Katsuura, Chiba. What hasn’t been publicized is the "sister" who was a frequent visitor at both locations.
Locals in Katsuura describe this "sister" as longhaired and petite, with a resemblance to Sakai, and that the 10-year-old son of the couple also seems quite attached to her. A restaurant employee who made deliveries to the beach house comments, “Sakai introduced this woman to me as her younger sister. She appeared to be in her late 20s and was on very friendly terms with her husband (Yuichi Takaso). When Sakai was away, the two often dined at our restaurant.”
A certain TV producer introduced the woman, identified as M, to Sakai some time in 2000. The two became close friends, and ever since, she has been a "family member," always with the couple at clubs and various events.
While Sakai was busy selling herself as a "mamadoru" (mommy idol), her husband, a self-professed surfer, had plenty of time to hang out with M who is unemployed. A friend of Sakai recalls a bizarre scene at the couple’s home after clubbing all night. M sat on Takaso's lap, cheek to cheek, while Sakai started preparing breakfast. Sakai laughed and said M was like family, so her behavior wasn’t a big deal.
Takaso’s acquaintance provided a similar incident from two years ago at a bar near Sakai’s home. Introducing M and Takaso to his group of friends, he explained that the young woman was living with Sakai and Takaso, which the latter neither affirmed nor denied. Takaso said jokingly, “We’re all happy together so it’s fine.”
The same acquaintance also commented, “The family goes on vacation with her, can you imagine that? When Sakai is away on business, this woman looks after their son. The three even take a bath together. She’s practically a mother to the boy. I guess she is Takaso’s lover, but this relationship is a bit too weird.”
A different perspective comes from a friend of Sakai who has known the TV idol since her childhood in Fukuoka. “I went to Nori-P’s home early in the morning after partying with her. M and Takaso were sitting side by side, their eyes looking glazed. Nori-P turned on trance music, cranked up the volume and started dancing on her own while snorting some white powder. She offered me some, but I said no way and told her to chill out.”
It was then that Sakai slumped down and mumbled about how much longer it was going to continue. “She was obviously referring to the life with her husband and his lover. I had no words to say.”
Indeed, Sakai had counted on M to take care of her son owing to her work schedule, and it is rumored that the boy was in this woman’s care during the six days Sakai disappeared after her husband’s arrest. In response to Shukan Post’s interview, however, M insisted she had nothing to do with Sakai’s son and denied that she was Takaso’s lover. But police investigators are currently looking into all parties who were involved with Sakai or aided her while she was on the run.
© Japan Today
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TokyoGas
mamadoru too busy for the husband and son... Passes mommy and wife duties to her friend...
Better for him to be with someone she knows so things do not get too outta hand.
Gaijinocchio
How much longer are we going to drag this family's name through the mud?
Damien15
She said "I want to die!" during the questioning. What if she commits suicide as soon as they let her free. It would be the drugs that killed her right?
I don't know who to blame here. Media is making this much fuss because they think ppl wants to hear more. And Police is just following law. But this is a brutal treatment no matter what. Leave her alone!!
HalcyonDaze
It hasn't been publicized for good reason - because it's just malicious, mud-raking gossip. It's curious that almost as a postscript the writer admits that the story has been denied by the person involved. But even if it were true, so what?
TokyoRoughGuy
Public persona and private life are not the same.
Betting
"But this is a brutal treatment no matter what. Leave her alone!!".
Japanese know what will happen to them if they break certain laws. I seriously doubt Japanese laws are going to change because of a few childish outbursts, "... leave her alone".
The Japanese media has been like this since when? Practically forever I would think. Pretty much the same as the tabloid press in other countries. Get people to stop buying the trashy gossip newspapers, stop watching the gossip variety and current affairs shows and things might change. But it is the basic consumer here that reads and watches them, so I doubt if anything is going to change soon. Japan is in need of cultural change but it won't happen till the greater majority want it to happen, till then you'll just have to live with it.
tmarie
Sorry but she wanted to be in the public eye and this crap (which I agree is nasty) goes along with it. How she was able to keep a lid on her family being yaks for so long surprises me.
As for her, give me a break. She did drugs in front of her 10 year son, left him for 6 days with this women while she cut her air, colour it, destroyed her cellphone... She knew what she was doing was wrong and tried to cover it up. If anyone deserves sympathy it is the child. Crappy parents. Japan talks about divorce being so bad for kids but this one should be a lesson.
Himajin
Everybody knew her brother was a yak....I don't know how well it was known that her father was too.
BuddhismTech
Excellent post, JapanToday. Finally, a real report arrived, after a few premature ones. I knew that a story, something chilling, adult-like, and fishy, would emerge soon. The Japanese media should NOT be criticized for its intense interest in Noriko Sakai. It should be granted more right than the American tabloid reporters in gathering more information about Noriko Sakai, even if some are not right, because Sakai may be potentially different from the other Japanese and international celebrities. The criminal case of hers may get more solmen and complicated in future. It is not like the Hong Kong's media which was wrongly and senselessly attacking against Ziyi Zhang last few years ago.
Unfortunately, the "Noriko Sakai's love triangle with best friend and husband" article is just a tip of the iceberg and we all should be fasten our seat belts and ready for the oncoming reports which are potentially more shocking. It may be much more to Noriko Sakai than her public talent and appearance show. Noriko just got in trouble and was arrested for real. Prior to that, people were concerned about her erratic behavior, a little tattoo, and hair style. That is it. This is a real case because of the possession of the illegal drugs. The Tokyo police is strongly encouraged to conduct a full investigation on Noriko's past and connections. The Japanese law is law. Everyone should know better not to run into a drug trap.
The post's title is highly accurate. "The sister" may be Takaso's AND Sakai's mistress. The police should also investigate on M's past, after the parties who associated with Sakai. "Slumped and mumbled"? Is this truth? Maybe she was so intoxicated with drugs that she could not clearly think. A witness should not protect Sakai's reputation and be obliged to tell truth. Clubbing all night does not fit a parent's character very well. Shame. Even I, a single man myself, would refuse to go to any club, bar, pub, or sex-related industry. Well, the report about Sakai's white-powder snorting and offering does not look very good. Which one? Cocaine or amphetamines? It unfortunately suggests that Noriko's drug abuse is far exceeding the Japanese society's expectation and imagination.
GTAYoyogi
Oh, well, as long as you're without sin, go ahead and cast that first stone.
tmarie
Sorry but with marriage and kids you do need to give up certain things - clubbing, drugs and threesomes in the house where kids are... all are pretty much on the give up list I think. She's got no excuse for what she has done. She has her own money, she could have left her husband but she probably knew her jobs would go out the window. Shame, she could have been a role model for all those single mothers or women stuck in crappy marriages. I do agree, there is more to come.
Cicada
This ideoology is for poor people, who should not even be getting married in the first place, according to the Prime Minister. Wealthy people, when they get married, don't need to listen to the advice of those less fortunate than them.
Sarge
"at their home in Minato Ward"
I'll bet it's bigger than a 2LDK.
usaexpat
Please stop the witch hunt, what can be gained by further destroying Sakai? I think the police and prosecutors need to charge her with what they have and leave the rest the hell alone.
Wolfpack
By all accounts Sakai has been an aweful parent. What a terrible legacy for her kid to live with. This is a woman who had it all and just couldn't keep herself from making a mess of her life. It is a shame how things turned out for her.
BuddhismTech
Some of fans start to think that Noriko Sakai married a wrong man and wish that it would be a different man who is supposed to be highly virtuous (dull, boring, and religious). But I disagree very much. Having an athletic and fun man as her husband was showing Sakai's "true colors". She made a right decision and it eventually led her to her fate and consequences in future, which she necessarily deserved to learn a lesson. She should know better that her talent and wealth were never sufficient to give her an unlimited privilege to run around like a wild beast and plenty of protection from arresting. She had a plenty of power to control her life without needing to do exactly as her husband wanted. Sakai's mistake is delivering a message to women of the world, not only Japan, to be more cautious toward men who are having too much fun, possessing a lack of self control, and too greedy. A surfing professional demonstrates his qualities: exciting, thrilling and fun - but insufficient in the emotional control, which is differing from the physical control required to ride the giant waves effectively to satisify his motion greed and impress a beach audience. No one is perfect in mastering his/her emotions, although.
It is nothing wrong with Sakai and her husband to indulge into pleasures, as long as they (these pleasures) are not extreme enough to harm their son. It is none of our business to know everything about them, unless they are caught successfully for the strong drugs which can impair their judgement to take caring of their kid properly. This is why Japan is heavily restricting on illicit drugs, because they can split any Japanese family permanently. Japan is counting on the media to exploit Sakai's misfortune to urge Japanese to avoid drugs at all cost.
ThonTaddeo
BuddhismTech: Good points.
Crokk
I "disagree", when people want to become public to increase their benefits, they should remain public even when the fall... or fail...
PepinGalarga
this is new information, and is newsworthy. Appears to give enough information without really going out of their way to destroy. Reporters could have gone much further.
Potsu
" women stuck in crappy marriages " but hold on,that would be most women in Japan wouldn't it ?
spudman
potsu. why stop at japan? Watch for more celebrities getting outted as these two start to squeal.
tmarie
The way the women here complain over their cake and coffee while their husbands work, you would think so. I actually figure the men here have a harder time with the marriage thing than the women.
northlondon
Gossip, rumour and innuendo. This article belongs on a supermarket shelf and any one of us here could have put this together.
HalfnHalf
would be nice to imagine tho....2 Nori-Ps at the same time
timeon
so that's how she got her nickname: Nori-3P
BuddhismTech
GTAYoyogi's comment: "Oh, well, as long as you're without sin, go ahead and cast that first stone."
No. We all should learn to love Noriko Sakai, not throw a stone at her for her wrongdoing.
gamera
I was in Japan last week and this is all over the news. It got old quickly.
kolohe
This story published here just proves that JT has become such a gossip rag, nothing more.
ippanjin33
Come on, it's from Shukan Post, after all, not Reuters! Take it with a grain of salt.
societymike
Am I the only one that feels like their lifestyle sounds like a lot of fun!?!? haha
hakujinsensei
Marriage is for adults and part of being adults is realizing that our various desires and needs vary from partner to partner. If a woman is working out on the road or just has a sex drive lower than her partners it would be nothing more than reasonable to accept another party into the relationship. That would go as well if the guy was not around to keep a smile on his brides face. Sounds like in this case the child was needing adult care as well so the supposed arrangement would make perfect sense. Life is short and meant to be enjoyed. Peoples private lives should be just that, private.
abromofo
Entertainment? This story is fascinating! I want more!
Mittsu
BuddhismTech makes a number of ridiculous points that have no basis in reality or how real people live.
nath
Kinda small potatoes at best when compared to the galavanting across the pond. Surprised none have mentioned "Bermuda" tri-angle.
Jbizzle
Yea I think Buddha tech is on something himself.
@societymike...I'm with you. Although the husband is a coward for ratting her out, I have to give it to him, he seems like a bit of a pimp. A threesome with two nori-ps?!? Hard to resist.
biglittleman
M isn't going to talk. Just deny it all! She seems like the smartest out of the group. She was able to sleep with another woman husband and get them to take care of her. Unless those two rat her out she will escape. I don't think they will because she needed to take care of their son. Sakai's family isn't trust worthy and Takaso might not be any better. Their son trusts her apparently so she must be safe.
BuddhismTech
New informaton: Sakai's husband said that he told Noriko Sakai to stop abusing drugs. Now, it is more credible that Sakai was the one who bought all of the drugs and abused them. We should start taking the husband's side. We have pieces of evidence: (1) Sakai's discarded cellphone (2) 6 days holding to flush drugs out of Sakai's system (3) Sakai's cut and dyed hair (4) Sakai's drug offer to a friend
Some people are having a hard time believing in this Shukan Post article, but we are now closer to attest the fact. The new source seems to be in agreement with the article which has an excerpt that says, "Nori-P turned on trance music, cranked up the volume and started dancing on her own while snorting some white powder. She offered me some, but I said no way and told her to chill out.".
We should appreciate the arrest because it helped saving Sakai's life. It would be a lot worse if she continued to buy and use the dangerous drug. No one, not even husband, family members, and friends, could stop her drug abuse, but the police. Therefore, if the Tokyo police did nothing, these harmful substances would permanently damage her body, brain, and family.
Now I know why the police did, because they knew about the stimulants' power to lead an individual to self destruction and greatly feared about Sakai's life after catching her husband in the public restroom. The Tokyo police should receive a full merit for their wonderful work. Even the mayor of Tokyo should award them.
No matter how wrong Noriko Sakai has done, we should continue to have compassion for her.
A link to the new source (8/26), "Actress Noriko Sakai's husband, Yuichi Takaso, told investigators he had urged his wife to stop abusing drugs.":
http://www.fnn-news.com/en/news/headlines/articles/CONN00161687.html
TanakaTaro
Is this now a running joke on JT, or is all of the Japanese Media constantly reiterating that her husband is a "self-professed / self-proclaimed surfer"?!?
Midnightpromise
An internet surfer perhaps?
timorborder
Character assassination by the numbers, and rightly so. If only 1% of all the crxp written about this woman is true, she will be digging herself out of this hole for the rest of her life.
guuzendesu
A spouse not being around is not a reason to have an extramarital affair. It's also unnatural to feel that it's fine for someone else to have body parts inside your lover.
If they're not around? That's what hands and batteries are for. Not strangers. Intimacy of that sort is what should naturally follow intimate emotions, not vice-versa. If your spouse is experiencing those physical things with another, then the emotional things could easily follow. Then, you may find out your spouse is quickly deciding no longer to be your spouse, and they no longer need you around.
A person of low intelligence will argue about being "man enough to keep her." Well, sharing her isn't "keeping" her in the first place, and she will know that too, regardless of what she says. If you "keep her" then it would only be because not leaving you is more convenient.
BuddhismTech
Did Sakai's husband urge Sakai to use amphetamines to relieve her fatigue? Let hope that this is true. But it is so hard to choose which one, Takaso or Sakai, is more honest and less willing to save her or his face for her or his own benefit. Takaso has advantage over Sakai because he did not resist the arrest and cooperated. Sakai ran away so she had more time to straighten out the mess before turning herself in.
ratpack
And the DVD will be released when????
funkymofo
She's a witch, she's a witch! Burn 'er!!
corinnajune
unnatural for most people perhaps, but apparently there are many people very happy in both 'open' and 'polyamorous' relationships. and the relationship between these three people seems to qualify as a polyamorous one.
i don't see anything wrong with it, either, so long as all parties are happy with the relationship. who you love really is no one's business.
but that doesn't, of course, excuse the rampant drug use with a child around who needed to be cared for.
Jkanda
love triangle, best friend, husband, mother, the relationship and some trying to argue that it is 'not unnatural' are all disgusting here. Get real.
Wonder what the 10 year old boy went through when these disgusting beings were together.
funkymofo
What's disgusting is the relentless schadenfreude, voyeurism and judging of other people and their lives. You don't know them, you get your information about their lives from tabloid articles and hysterical 'wide' shows and you judge that they're bad people because their choices apparently don't fit within your value system. Just say it- they don't do what I do so they're bad.
Don't worry, I'm sure there'll be some lascivious articles for you to delight in over the next few days.
Get real indeed.
Jkanda
They don't do what majority of human beings do. And just because some people fancy some wierd behavior and lifestyle does not mean that everyone should accept that. Especially when there was a child involved in this 'triangle' these people should have been moderate.
My posts even before Sakai surrendered should give you the clue that I am not feeding on JT or TV alone.
funkymofo
So they must be bad, huh?!
Who decides what's weird and what's moderate? You? Unless the child is harmed, and though I've not been following this pathetic drama with the same dedication and missionary zeal you obviously have, that doesn't seem to be the case. Calling them disgusting is a value judgment that you are not qualified to make on the basis of the skewed and hysterical mass media feeding frenzy that's occurring.
BuddhismTech
@womanforwomen
"Especially when there was a child involved in this 'triangle' these people should have been moderate."
Answer:
Are you sure? Are you referring to all families in Japan? Some months ago, I watched one of Japan's comedy TV series on Netflix's instant play. It showed three naked mannequins of different sizes in a Japanese tub. They depicted a white husband, white wife (blonde and blue eyes), and white young son (ten years old?). What a weird Japanese humor.
BuddhismTech
@sageb1
I think that more than 1 million Japanese tried and used amphetamine.
anon99
Woe, didn't know there's a whole Shukan Post section on JT... wondering what connections JT and Shogakukan have... Anyway, good digest as I don't have the Sep 4 issue
Burn her? "DROP her" may be a better description... Given this messy situation, I suspect there could be a bounty issued inside those underworld (especially the ones she was in), for the dispatching of her, because her notoriety might be deeply affecting those circles, jeopadizing their underground activities etc. etc.
She's caught between the black and the white. Whatever the verdict, she might be unable to make it in one piece eventually. Catch the drift?
oberst
threesome !! what a lucky surfer dude