Ahh, ok - they came from "a foreigner"

Right now the big story the Japanese media is focusing on is the apparently impossible-to-accept-and-move-on-with-life tale of Noriko Sakai, a 38 year-old Japanese pop singer who was recently arrested. As far as I can gather, the story is that her estranged husband was arrested on suspicion of drug possession and told police that she was involved. Her apartment was searched and drugs found, and a warrant was put out for her arrest. She disappeared with her kid for a couple of days, but was eventually found and apprehended. Although she has admitted to the possession charges, she has also said that she didn't take the drugs herself.

The part that has the gaijin community somewhat upset is a statement that was made to police and then leaked to the Japanese media. Apparently Noriko got her drugs "from a foreigner." At first, the media's coverage of the event consisted of every TV show centering in on stupid little details of her life - for example, her decision to dye her hair. I saw one TV show that was studying a picture of her from a few years back, trying to determine if she had a tattoo. Oooh, that must have been where she went wrong.

Now, as you might imagine, the media is focusing in on this foreigner business. See, Japan is a pure society. If people are using drugs, foreigners must be connected somehow. Despite the fact that Noriko's brother has ties to the yakuza. I think there's a lot of blame to go around, but the police and the media deserve a fair share, considering how much coverage this story is getting in Japan. If a celebrity were busted for drugs in America, do you think they would be able to deflect so much attention by claiming they bought the drugs from a black man or a hispanic? I would hope not. Then again, this is Japan. More on the story at Japan Probe.

(Photo Source: AFP via Yahoo)