You’re an adult. It’s your life. Your body. Make your own choices. But if I’m going to offer one bit of advice, it’s this: Don’t do illegal drugs in Japan. Just don’t.
Case in point: The Japanese media reported that voice actor Ai Takabe, who starred in the comedy-slice of life anime Kill Me Baby, was arrested for drug possession. According to Yahoo! News Japan, a small amount of cocaine was allegedly found at her home.
In the West, famous people get caught with drugs all the time. We’re kind of used to it, no? In Japan, if you are famous and caught with drugs, your career isn’t just over, but it’s like you get deleted from ever existing.
[via Kill Me Baby Wikia]
It is possible to make a comeback after such an arrest, but difficult. You’re viewed as damaged goods. Instead of appearing in Toyota commercials, you’re appearing at local pachinko parlors.
(Note: Even if you are not famous, getting arrested with drugs in Japan will totally mess up your life. If you are a foreigner, they will deport you. The drug laws are strict, and the police are not fucking around.)
2ch notes that after Takabe’s arrest was announced, she was erased from the credits on the Kill Me Baby official website.
[Photo via 2ch]
She’s also been dropped by her agency.
And even on Amazon Video, Kill Me Baby is not available.
Bandai announced that today it’s no longer streaming Kill Me Baby as well as the 2009 anime Sweet Blue Flowers and the 2011 anime Wandering Son. Takabe voice characters in both.
I’m guessing the anime’s creators want to steer clear of the negativity the arrest is bringing to the show. People, like Twitter user doshirogu777, have been uploading fan art, showing Agiri Goshiki, the Kill Me Baby character Takabe voices, behind bars or holding narcotics. That’s probably what the show’s producers were trying to avoid, even though the show aired in 2012.
Takabe hasn’t been found guilty of anything yet. She’s still awaiting trial. But in Japan, cops don’t typically make arrests until they’re certain there’s a conviction — which might explain the country’s astronomically high conviction rate (it might not, though). You’re guilty until proven innocent.
[Photo via 2ch]
As elsewhere around the world, we can see more broadminded approaches to drugs and drug laws, Japan is strict as ever. (Japan has a funny history with drugs. When I first arrived here around the turn of the century, however, shrooms were legal. They were made illegal shortly before the country hosted the World Cup, possibly over fears that foreigners would go bonkers.)
We’ve seen this play out time and time again, most recently with Aska of the popular pop duo Chage and Aska. If you are in Japan — whether you are famous or not — don’t do drugs. There are many other countries that are far more hospitable to controlled substances than Japan. Try those places. Not here. At least, not now.
Top image: doshirogu777
Comments
9 responses to “Anime Actor’s Cocaine Arrest Proves You Should Never Do Drugs In Japan”
She’s more of an idol that happened to do a couple roles in anime as a misguided attempt to promote her ‘brand’. I can’t remember ever hearing about any of the professional voice actors (i.e. the ones that make the bulk of their living off the work, not the idols / singers that do it on the side) being arrested for drug possession. Normally if they disappear it’s because they’ve retired, died or are having children.
Anise voice acting, like any voice acting, rarely provides the funds required for a drug habit. Idols on the other hand, always have tons of spare cash and people offering free samples.
Probably true.
Interesting – never one this attitude towards drugs in japan.
Korea’s the same way. They do random hair sample testing for drugs and will boot foreigners for testing positive. In fact, much of Asia is like this; you can theoretically get deported for weed or shrooms in Thailand/Vietnam, even though you can purchase it almost anywhere (rarely enforced), and those SEA countries contribute significantly to global heroin production.
I don’t do drugs, and I don’t judge people who do, but for the love of anything, please check your local laws before you do *anything* illegal. That applies to everything from speeding to drugs. Know your legal limits and accept the consequences before doing them.
I don’t do drugs, and I don’t judge people who do, but for the love of anything, please check your local laws before you do *anything* illegal. That applies to everything from speeding to drugs. Know your legal limits and accept the consequences before doing them.
It’s actually worse than how Brian described it. Japanese law allows under certain circumstances to be held in “detention”. detention is not prison, so the rules about expedient processing don’t apply. You can be held in detention without charge or legal representation for up to two years.
When they eventually get to charging you, they’ll deport you if they don’t think they can keep their 98% conviction rate. If they can convict you, they’ll convict you, imprison you for your term, THEN deport you. There’s also no difference between “hard” and “soft” drug laws. Sudafed is the same as heroine (Oh yeah, common over the counter drugs are often illegal. Anything containing Pseudo ephedrine is the same as a street drug).
realtalk: Don’t get in trouble in Japan.
So in summary, enjoy all the sexual depravity you want… Just don’t go sniffing those drugs.
Used panty sniffing = ok
Drug sniffing = not ok