Masatoshi Nakamura cries during Sunday’s press conference.

Masatoshi Nakamura sheds tears over son's drug arrest

Monday 06th April, 01:00 PM JST

TOKYO —

Actor Masatoshi Nakamura, 58, on Sunday gave a teary apology for his son, actor Shunta Nakamura, 31, who was arrested Saturday for possession of cannabis. In tears, Nakamura said, “I want him [Shunta] to leave his agency, quit acting, and be reborn as a new person.”

Asked how he felt when he received the call that his oldest son had been arrested, Nakamura said, “I was so surprised. I thought it had to be a lie, but it wasn’t.

“My son did something no respectable man should do. I just want to yell at him, ask him if he thinks this is what good adults should be doing.”

Although the two do not live together, Nakamura said he hadn’t noticed anything different about his son recently.

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Latest 15 of 35 Total Comments Show All

FryingMonkey at 06:40 PM JST - 6th April

The reason for this sad sad man playing the drama queen here is due to his winning the “Japan Father of the Year” award about 10 years ago and gotta turn the water works on for the old folks. blah blah blah... BTW, temporaryVisa, that was a great pull there. Milk straight out the nose!
larguero at 06:46 PM JST - 6th April

has anyone stand up in of these cases and said something like "I am not sorry, I am an adult and do what I want. If I smoke mj is my problem. I would and I will do it again, but next time maybe in Holland"? How I would love to be the first one, despite I dont smoke mj.
ALHQQ at 08:50 PM JST - 6th April

I cannot believe tihs crap!
BurakuminDes at 09:41 PM JST - 6th April

This Shunta guy must be a real bad guy for smoking this evil cannabis. If he hadn't been caught, soon he would have been violently assaulting innocent women on trains, stealing panties, killing children, beating his girlfriend to death, setting fire to houses, wiping his saliva on women in trains....oh, wait, that's just the Japanese WHO DONT SMOKE DOPE! Those guys are all OK though, because they aren't druggos...
Squally at 10:33 PM JST - 6th April

Funny, weed is so bad yet you see all those kei cars with MJ air freshneres and MJ shirts for sale at stores. Guess it's ok if it's for "fashion" but not if you actually partake. Gotta love Japan!
WilliB at 10:51 PM JST - 6th April

This would have been an opportunity to say: Yes, he was stupid to break the law, but come on. The police really could use more resources to catch some of the murders on the lose here, instead of trapping harmless guys with some pot, who are not a danger to anyone.

Instead we get this bizare tearful performance on TV. Bizarre! As if his kid was serial killer.
jonnyboy at 11:17 PM JST - 6th April

the weed-related silly season continues...
J_rock at 11:31 PM JST - 6th April

What does 0.3g of pot even look like? That sounds like the crumbs people used to sweep off the coffee table after a party in college. It would appear as though the perspective fairy skipped Japan on her last trip.
knackerz at 08:29 AM JST - 7th April

He needs to go into rehab, it's obvious he's a dope fiend and is on the slippery slope to ruin.
soldave at 09:22 AM JST - 7th April

Good to see a family member apologising again. Expecting no sign of Shunta giving an apology of any sort. If anything is said it will be, as usual, classed as a "regrettable" incident.
frontandcentre at 10:59 AM JST - 8th April

Yet another storm in a teacup. If the guy had been caught coming out of a soapland or sex club, the reaction would have been non-existent. Even beating up your employees seems to be OK compared to the dreaded "D" word. Smoke a bit of harmless weed to relax, however...

Anyway, a 31-year-old man is his own responsibility, not his Father's any more. Ludicrous.
saborichan at 02:20 PM JST - 9th April

Yeah. Maybe they could stop companies selling CANNABIS shitajiki, pencils, erasers, and so on at kids' stationary stores.
elbudamexicano at 02:22 AM JST - 11th April

The show biz world of Japan is not the same as Hollywood. Here in Japan, if you get caught doing drugs, it is not "cool nor chic" as it would be in New York, London etc..and I have personally worked with Mr. Nakamura, so I do feel very sorry for him, as and individual and as a father. Hope his son can get over this obstacle.
TokyoHustla at 04:56 PM JST - 12th April

Masatoshi Nakamura sheds tears over son's drug arrest

Beta males are pretty much a lost cause, but this guy goes too far. Grow up, man.
salott at 05:18 AM JST - 13th July

Please people, don't be so cruel. The Japanese society is very intolerant of this type of thing. I have met and talked to Masatoshi Nakamura and he is a very kind, caring and sincere person.