Noriko Sakai
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese pop
singer and actress. She was born in Fukuoka
, Fukuoka Prefecture
, Japan. She married in 1998, and divorced on July 31, 2010. She and Yūichi have one son, born in 1999. She is particularly popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Her best-selling single to date is .
Sakai released her debut single, "Otoko no Ko ni Naritai" (男のコになりたい, I Want to Be a Boy) on February 5, 1987, nine days short of her sixteenth birthday. Over 40,000 copies of the single were sold. In the early years of her career, she used the nickname NORI-P (のりピー), although around the mid-1990s she started to distance herself from it.
Sakai recently re-emerged in the headlines again for a drug scandal in August 2009. As long as she stays crime-free until November 2012, she will not serve any more time in prison. In the mean time, Sakai is currently studying welfare and nursing care. In April 2011, a Chinese government-sponsored anti-drug campaign was introduced, with Sakai appearing as the campaign's representative.
drugs in a public lavatory, at a park in Tokyo's Minato Ward. The next day, Takasō's car, parked on a street in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, was searched. In the car, 0.817 grams of stimulant drugs were found. On August 4, 2009, Takasō was stopped by Tokyo Metropolitan Police while walking in public in Shibuya. When Takasō was subjected to a body search, stimulant drugs were reportedly found in his underwear. Takasō was immediately placed under arrest. Sakai was summoned to the scene of the arrest. She was asked to go to the police station for further questions and to submit to a urine test. Instead, she told the police she had to pick her 10-year old son up, and that she would go to the police station later that day. Sakai later disappeared with her son.
While Takasō was being questioned at the police department, he reportedly told the police he and Sakai were involved in drugs. As early as ten days prior to his arrest, the two of them used drugs while on a family trip to Amami Ōshima
in Kagoshima Prefecture
. At the time of Takasō's arrest, Sakai was living in her own apartment in Tokyo. While Sakai was away, the police searched Sakai's home, and reportedly found 0.008 grams of stimulant drugs, carefully wrapped in aluminum foil. An inhaler among the drugs was discovered to have Sakai's DNA. As a result, a warrant was issued for her arrest. On August 5, 2009, Sakai dropped her son off with an unnamed friend, purchased some underwear and other necessities from a store, and then disappeared.
Attempting to track Sakai down by cell phone, the police reported that her cell phone lost signal within the area of Yamanashi Prefecture
, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of Tokyo
. Sakai later claimed that the cell phone was damaged, and that she threw the phone away. Police believe that the cell phone may contain information leading to the source of the stimulant drugs.
On August 7, 2009, Sakai turned herself in to the authorities, and then was placed under arrest. The official charge against Sakai is "suspicion of possessing stimulant drugs," according to a Tokyo police official. She admitted to the drugs being in her apartment, but did not admit to taking the drugs herself. She also said she kept the drugs in foil "to use them later."
On August 17, 2009, a beach house in Katsuura, Chiba
was also searched. A frequent location for both Sakai and Takasō the past five years, 0.097 grams of amphetamines and paraphernalia were found in the house. On August 21, 2009, after admitting to the drugs found in the beach house, Takasō was served with a second charge for possession of stimulant drugs.
can only be detected in a urine test within one to four days after use. On August 19, 2009, investigators announced that Sakai's hair tested positive for the stimulant drug, although the results were weak. Before Sakai was caught, she reportedly dyed and cut her hair; both practices would affect the testing results. Because of the positive result in the hair test, Sakai's jail time was extended another nine days - until August 28, 2009.
On the final day of Sakai's detention, prosecutors officially indicted Sakai for alleged amphetamine possession, based on the evidence collected by the police. The fact that the drugs were carefully wrapped for later use was a deciding factor in the verdict. On September 10, 2009, an additional charge of stimulant drug use was added. Sakai allegedly used amphetamines at a hotel during her Kagoshima Prefecture visit with her husband and son.
Sakai was released from jail after posting bail on September 17, 2009. Accompanied by her attorney, and with Sun Music Vice President Masahisa Aizawa in attendance, she apologized to the public during a press conference. "My weakness caused me to give in to illegal drugs and caused grief to many people. I pledge to repent and atone for this crime for the rest of my life," she said. Sakai was checked into a hospital to overcome her drug habit, and asked for restraint from the media during her recovery.
Sakai's first court date was held on October 26, 2009 - drawing a crowd of 6,600 people outside of a Tokyo courthouse. Sakai pleaded guilty to drug use. Prosecutors suggested eighteen months in prison for Sakai, but on November 9, 2009, the court delayed the jail term to November 9, 2012, as long as she stays crime-free. Sakai is now attending University of Creation; Art, Music & Social Work
in Takasaki, Gunma
. She is studying welfare and nursing care.
During the first week of the scandal, Apple Inc's iTunes Store
rated Sakai's 1995 song Aoi Usagi the number one downloaded song. The rating were based on an eleven-day period. Other Sakai songs among the top 100 downloads include Kagami no Doresu (17th) and Sekaiju no Dare Yori Kitto (18th). On August 9, 2009, Victor Entertainment
, the distributor of Sakai's works, withdrew Sakai's CDs from stores, and suspended downloads of her songs. On-line stores such as Amazon
Japan still sell Sakai's CDs and DVDs, despite increasing the selling prices as a result of Victor's move.
Immediately after the indictment announcement, Sun Music, the talent agency who has represented Sakai since 1986, suspended the contract. Sun Music president Masahisa Aizawa said, "We apologize from the bottom of our hearts for the alleged misdeeds of Ms. Sakai." Sun Music removed Sakai's official web site from its web server. Soon after Aizawa's announcement, he was demoted to vice-president. Chairman Hideyoshi Aizawa removed himself from the position, and is now an adviser to Sun Music, with no right to represent the firm.
In April 2011, Sakai participated in a tour around Beijing to educate the hazards of drug addiction. She claimed that she will temporarily set aside her entertainment career to partake in charity organizations for now.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer and actress. She was born in Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
, Fukuoka Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
, Japan. She married in 1998, and divorced on July 31, 2010. She and Yūichi have one son, born in 1999. She is particularly popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Her best-selling single to date is .
Sakai released her debut single, "Otoko no Ko ni Naritai" (男のコになりたい, I Want to Be a Boy) on February 5, 1987, nine days short of her sixteenth birthday. Over 40,000 copies of the single were sold. In the early years of her career, she used the nickname NORI-P (のりピー), although around the mid-1990s she started to distance herself from it.
Sakai recently re-emerged in the headlines again for a drug scandal in August 2009. As long as she stays crime-free until November 2012, she will not serve any more time in prison. In the mean time, Sakai is currently studying welfare and nursing care. In April 2011, a Chinese government-sponsored anti-drug campaign was introduced, with Sakai appearing as the campaign's representative.
Drug scandal
On August 2, 2009, Sakai's husband, Yūichi Takasō allegedly inhaled a small amount of stimulantStimulant
Stimulants are psychoactive drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both. Examples of these kinds of effects may include enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion, among others...
drugs in a public lavatory, at a park in Tokyo's Minato Ward. The next day, Takasō's car, parked on a street in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, was searched. In the car, 0.817 grams of stimulant drugs were found. On August 4, 2009, Takasō was stopped by Tokyo Metropolitan Police while walking in public in Shibuya. When Takasō was subjected to a body search, stimulant drugs were reportedly found in his underwear. Takasō was immediately placed under arrest. Sakai was summoned to the scene of the arrest. She was asked to go to the police station for further questions and to submit to a urine test. Instead, she told the police she had to pick her 10-year old son up, and that she would go to the police station later that day. Sakai later disappeared with her son.
While Takasō was being questioned at the police department, he reportedly told the police he and Sakai were involved in drugs. As early as ten days prior to his arrest, the two of them used drugs while on a family trip to Amami Ōshima
Amami Oshima
is a semi-tropical island in the Amami Islands, which is part of the larger Nansei Islands in Japan. Ōshima literally means big island, and it is the largest of the Amami Islands. It lies roughly halfway between the islands of Okinawa and Kyūshū. Briefly part of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, in 1624 it was...
in Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
. At the time of Takasō's arrest, Sakai was living in her own apartment in Tokyo. While Sakai was away, the police searched Sakai's home, and reportedly found 0.008 grams of stimulant drugs, carefully wrapped in aluminum foil. An inhaler among the drugs was discovered to have Sakai's DNA. As a result, a warrant was issued for her arrest. On August 5, 2009, Sakai dropped her son off with an unnamed friend, purchased some underwear and other necessities from a store, and then disappeared.
Attempting to track Sakai down by cell phone, the police reported that her cell phone lost signal within the area of Yamanashi Prefecture
Yamanashi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...
, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Sakai later claimed that the cell phone was damaged, and that she threw the phone away. Police believe that the cell phone may contain information leading to the source of the stimulant drugs.
On August 7, 2009, Sakai turned herself in to the authorities, and then was placed under arrest. The official charge against Sakai is "suspicion of possessing stimulant drugs," according to a Tokyo police official. She admitted to the drugs being in her apartment, but did not admit to taking the drugs herself. She also said she kept the drugs in foil "to use them later."
On August 17, 2009, a beach house in Katsuura, Chiba
Katsuura, Chiba
is a city located in southern part of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Katsuura city is famous for Katsuura Fishing Port, which features one of the top three largest morning markets in Japan. As of February 2010, the city has an estimated population of 20,570 and the density of 218 persons per km²...
was also searched. A frequent location for both Sakai and Takasō the past five years, 0.097 grams of amphetamines and paraphernalia were found in the house. On August 21, 2009, after admitting to the drugs found in the beach house, Takasō was served with a second charge for possession of stimulant drugs.
Drug testing and indictment
On August 9, 2009 - two days after Sakai's arrest, a urine test result came up negative. Light use of methamphetamineMethamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
can only be detected in a urine test within one to four days after use. On August 19, 2009, investigators announced that Sakai's hair tested positive for the stimulant drug, although the results were weak. Before Sakai was caught, she reportedly dyed and cut her hair; both practices would affect the testing results. Because of the positive result in the hair test, Sakai's jail time was extended another nine days - until August 28, 2009.
On the final day of Sakai's detention, prosecutors officially indicted Sakai for alleged amphetamine possession, based on the evidence collected by the police. The fact that the drugs were carefully wrapped for later use was a deciding factor in the verdict. On September 10, 2009, an additional charge of stimulant drug use was added. Sakai allegedly used amphetamines at a hotel during her Kagoshima Prefecture visit with her husband and son.
Sakai was released from jail after posting bail on September 17, 2009. Accompanied by her attorney, and with Sun Music Vice President Masahisa Aizawa in attendance, she apologized to the public during a press conference. "My weakness caused me to give in to illegal drugs and caused grief to many people. I pledge to repent and atone for this crime for the rest of my life," she said. Sakai was checked into a hospital to overcome her drug habit, and asked for restraint from the media during her recovery.
Sakai's first court date was held on October 26, 2009 - drawing a crowd of 6,600 people outside of a Tokyo courthouse. Sakai pleaded guilty to drug use. Prosecutors suggested eighteen months in prison for Sakai, but on November 9, 2009, the court delayed the jail term to November 9, 2012, as long as she stays crime-free. Sakai is now attending University of Creation; Art, Music & Social Work
University of Creation; Art, Music & Social Work
The , sometimes called Souzou Gakuen University is a private university in Takasaki, Gunma, Japan, established in 2004. The president of the school is Daitetsu Koike.-Nakayama campus:Houses the Creative Arts Department....
in Takasaki, Gunma
Takasaki, Gunma
is a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on April 1, 1900.Takasaki is a regional transportation hub because its train station is the junction of several rail lines as well as a Shinkansen stop....
. She is studying welfare and nursing care.
Industry and consumer reactions
The drug scandal can potentially cost Sakai billions of yen in canceled contracts and other endeavors she was involved in prior. On August 6, 2009, car manufacturer Toyota reportedly stopped showing a commercial, featuring Sakai, on its web site. Sakai's clothing line "PP rikorino", consisting of over 150 items were pulled from stores throughout Japan.During the first week of the scandal, Apple Inc's iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
rated Sakai's 1995 song Aoi Usagi the number one downloaded song. The rating were based on an eleven-day period. Other Sakai songs among the top 100 downloads include Kagami no Doresu (17th) and Sekaiju no Dare Yori Kitto (18th). On August 9, 2009, Victor Entertainment
Victor Entertainment
is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It was formerly known as...
, the distributor of Sakai's works, withdrew Sakai's CDs from stores, and suspended downloads of her songs. On-line stores such as Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
Japan still sell Sakai's CDs and DVDs, despite increasing the selling prices as a result of Victor's move.
Immediately after the indictment announcement, Sun Music, the talent agency who has represented Sakai since 1986, suspended the contract. Sun Music president Masahisa Aizawa said, "We apologize from the bottom of our hearts for the alleged misdeeds of Ms. Sakai." Sun Music removed Sakai's official web site from its web server. Soon after Aizawa's announcement, he was demoted to vice-president. Chairman Hideyoshi Aizawa removed himself from the position, and is now an adviser to Sun Music, with no right to represent the firm.
In April 2011, Sakai participated in a tour around Beijing to educate the hazards of drug addiction. She claimed that she will temporarily set aside her entertainment career to partake in charity organizations for now.
Long playing releases
- Fantasia - Noriko Part I
- Yumeboken Noriko Special
- Guanbare - Noriko Part II
- Lovely Times - Noriko Part III
- Blue Wind - Noriko Part IV
- My Dear - Noriko Part V
- Singles - Noriko Best
- White Girl - Noriko Part VI
- Sweet'n Bitter - Noriko Part VII
- CD-File 1
- CD-File 2
- CD-File 3
- Magical Montage Company
- Sentimental Best
- Manmoth
- Singles - Noriko Best II
- Anata-ga Michite Yuku
- Natural best
- 10 Songs
- Watercolour
- Youyenchi Enri (Mandarin)
- Twin Best
- In Snowflakes
- Work out fine
- Asian Tour Special: Asian Collection '98
- Pure Collection
- Single - Noriko Best III
- Asia2000 - Work of Love
- moments
- Best Selections
Original soundtrack contributions
- Aim for the Top! GunbusterGunbusterGunbuster, known in Japan as is a six episode anime OVA series created by Gainax in 1988. It was the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno, best known as the director of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The title is a combination of the titles of classic tennis anime Aim for the Ace!, whose plot inspired...
("Active Heart") - Video Girl AiVideo Girl Aiis a manga series created by Masakazu Katsura and published by Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump. It also has an anime adaptation. The manga is published in English by Viz Communications...
("Ureshi Namida") - Hoshi no KinkaHoshi no Kinkais a 1995 Japanese television drama series. The series revolves around , a deaf and mute girl from Hokkaido who is in love with a doctor named . After Shūichi leaves for Tokyo, he has an accident and loses his memory...
("Aoi Usagi") - Zoku Hoshi no Kinka ("Kagami no Doresu")
- Three Musketeers ("Yume Bōken")
Singles
- Otoko no Ko ni Naritai
- Nagisa no Fantasy
- NO.RE.na.i Teen-age
- Yumeboken
- Guanbare
- 1 Okuno Smile - Please Your Smile
- Nori-P Ondo
- Happy Again
- Honki o Dashite
- Otogi no Kuni no Birthday
- Love Letter
- Sayonara o Sugite
- All Right
- Shiawasenante Hoshikunaiwa
- Diamond Blue
- Hohoemi wo Mitsuketa
- Eve no Tamago
- Anata ni Tenshi ga Mierutoki
- Montage
- Namida ga Tomaranai How!Aw!Ya!
- Karui Kimochi no Julia
- Nagisa no Pithecanthropus
- Tabun Taboo
- Anata ga Michi te Yuku
- Egao ga Wasureranai
- Sasowarete
- Oh Oh Oh We are the Winners
- Aoi UsagiAoi Usagiis a Japanese pop song performed by Noriko Sakai. This song was used for the opening theme of the Japanese TV drama series Hoshi no Kinka, which she also starred in. It is currently Sakai's biggest-selling single of her career....
- Here I am
- Kagami no Doresu
- Namida Iro
- Yokogao
- Pure
- Words of Love
- Miracle
- Susume! Hakkushon Baby
- Tenka Muteki no Ai
- Sekai Jū no Dare Yori Kitto
Television dramas
- Hitotsu Yane no Shita as Kashiwagi Koyuki, Fuji TVFuji Televisionis a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
1993 - Longing For The Old You, NTVNippon Televisionis a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
1994 - Watashi, Mikata Desu, TBSTokyo Broadcasting System, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
1995 - Hoshi no KinkaHoshi no Kinkais a 1995 Japanese television drama series. The series revolves around , a deaf and mute girl from Hokkaido who is in love with a doctor named . After Shūichi leaves for Tokyo, he has an accident and loses his memory...
(Heaven's Coins) as Aya Kuramoto, NTV 1995 - Zoku Hoshi no Kinka (Heaven's Coins 2) as Aya Kuramoto, NTV 1996
- Hitotsu Yane no Shita 2 as Koyuki Kashiwagi, Fuji TV 1997
- Seija no Koushin, TBS 1999
- Toi Shinseki Chikaku no Tanin, NHKNHKNHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
1999 - Tenshi ga Kieta Machi, NTV 2000
- Honke no Yome, NTV 2001
- Toshiie and Matsu as One, NHK 2002
- Mukodono 2003, Fuji TV 2003
- Fight as Kido Ayako, NHK 2005
- Marumaru Chibi Maruko-chan as Okaasan, Fuji TV 2007
Filmography
- SSSS (manga)is a manga by Shohei Harumoto which has been serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Superior between 2000 to 2003 over nine volumes. The manga has since been adapted into a live action movie by Toho.-Plot:...
, 2008 - Ju-on: The Grudge 2Ju-on: The Grudge 2Ju-on: The Grudge 2 is a 2003 Japanese horror film and the fourth in the Ju-on series written and directed by Takashi Shimizu. The film was released in Japan on August 23, 2003....
, 2003 - YogenYogenis a 2004 Japanese horror film directed by Tsuruta Norio. Yogen is based on the manga Kyoufu Shinbun by Jiro Tsunoda, published in "Shonen Champion" in 1973.- Plot :...
, 2004
Photo books
- Let's Nori-P
- Shuffle Heart
- Blue Pearl
- Aquarius
- Zephoros
- In Europe
- In Greece
- Comme Le Cinema
- Shinin Run
- Orange Hotel
- Naturelle
- Fizz