Noriko Sakai's disappearance big news in Asia
Entertainment ( 23 )
TOKYO —
News of the disappearance of Japanese singer and actress Noriko Sakai, 38, and her 10-year-old son, who have been missing since her husband’s arrested for drug possession on Aug 3, has hit the shores of Asia, where the star became popular in the 1990s.
China’s CCTV carried news of the incident, and a number of local websites featured specials looking back at the singer’s popularity in the country. In South Korea, the Chosun Online and JoongAng Ilbo Online displayed headlines reading “Japanese national treasure gone missing,” and “Where is Sakai?”
Sakai, popularly known as Noripi, first turned heads in Asia at a solo concert in Taiwan in May of 1992. Her popularity boomed, and she was soon starring in the local drama “Wo Ai Meiren Yu.” She then became the first Japanese person to ever appear in a commercial in China, becoming popular for her “innocent” face and selling several million records in the process. In 2007, during the 35th anniversary of the normalization of Japan-China ties, she played the role of cultural friendship ambassador for Japan.
In 2003, she visited Korea to promote “The Grudge 2,” which became a hit in the country. Throughout Asia, several of her dramas, such as “Hitotsu no Yane no Shita and “Hoshi no Kinka,” are still broadcast regularly on TV.
Order by Time Order by Popularity
23 Comments
Login to comment
0
MisterM1
pretty sad
0
seyito2009
That is really bad. I really like her songs. Hope she will be fine.
0
societymike
Why would she dissapear when her husband is arrested? Only thing I could think of is either.. a.) hiding out to avoid embarrasment b.) hiding out because of guilt in her possible role of drug possession c.) killed by husband or his associates because of her knowledge of events
0
womanforwomen
If she does not face it everyone would begin to think that she has a hand in the death of the other woman and the arrest of her useless husband.
0
Apsara
womanforwomen, you are confusing this celebrity/drug-related issue with another where an actor called Manabu Oshio was the last person to have spent time with a woman who died of a drug overdose. His wife is Akiko Yada, and she is not missing. Sakai's husband was arrested for drug possession but there is no dead woman involved in this case- just that Sakai and her daughter are missing.
0
Nessie
I believe he has admitted to being with her when she OD-ed, so your description a shade misleading.
0
Mittsu
Apparently the apartment in Roppongi Hills where Oshio and his bird took E and she died is owned by the owner of Peach John and is notoriously used by slebs to have a bit of fun..... Maybe Noripi was part of it all?
0
timorborder
Here is my two cents worth:
She might have a little drug problem herself. As such, she is "missing" until such time as she can provide a clean test (just on the off chance that the cops ask her to provide a sample).
Despite having a questionable taste in men, she might feel a strong sense of responsibility/shame regarding hubbies actions(both of these emotions being real rather than the head-bobbing melodrama press conferences you often see on TV in this country). If this is the case, she might decide to hang around a certain forest in Yamanashi.
0
Triumvere
Noripi != Yada Akiko
0
womanforwomen
Sorry, I did confuse the two cases. Too many things happening in the entertainment industry.
0
terebiko
I hope that she and her son are found safe, but I still fear that double suicide is a possibility. This is Japan, and unfortunately suicide in cases like this have know to have occurred. I don't think they did commit suicide, but it is a possibility. Hopefully she and her son are just holed-up in the mountains with a relative, to keep out of the media circus.
0
Betting
Hehe she ran off with the kids, hardly sounds like something terrible has happened. Considering what has happend to some Japanese celebrities in the past with their crimes/midemeanors, I'm not surprised. But she was embarrassed to the extreme though when she does resurface.
Running off over something relatively minor is just going to make it so much worse when she returns. The amount of apologising she'll have to do will keep her busy for a long, long time.
0
Monoflow
It's an option in such case, to run away for a while. I don't think there will be any crime or so, just a big frustration about her useless husband. But anyway, it would be good to contact some relatives and media, instead letting the whole nation guessing about what happend...
0
Triumvere
If her husband had been the one to be caught drugged up with a naked chick dead next to him then, yeah, I'd be worried about suicide. But, he wasn't, which leaves me to believe that Noriko is probably simply motified and hiding from the media, unable to face the public. Well Noripi, at least you aren't in Yada Akiko's shoes. Things could be worse. Obviously there are still a lot of fans out there that love you; don't do anything foolish.
(Accidentally posted this to the other thread when I meant to post it here; sorry mods!)
0
souryeki
So she`s the one whose husband looks like a junkie and whose pocket were searched by a policeman which found the drugs right ?
Remember ladies and gentlemen, that this lady is an actress and a good one in drama. She will come back with whole Asia`s spotlight on her along with a movie script about her personal drama. I would bet my two hands that her agent advised her to do so. Or am I thinking a bit too much Hollywoodian here ?
0
Sarge
"The Grudge 2"
I can't believe they made The Grudge.
0
TumbleDry
who cares...
0
ppayne
TumbleDry, plenty of people.
0
LoveUSA
She must be beside her husband and support him, what a loser woman.
0
Fadamor
If I remember correctly, weren't these two rumored to be separated a few months ago? I don't see why she hasn't checked in with the cops, or even her parents, just to say she's alive. It's not looking good for her. If this was some publicity stunt, it's gone on too long and now she risks animosity from her fans if she's been intentionally out of sight.
0
Nessie
More grudgier than ever!
0
ambrosia
Apsara: What are you talking about? Read the first paragraph more carefully and you'll see "since her husband's arrest for drug possession"
0
bdiego
Although the allegations are probably true, Japan really needs to adopt a concept of innocent until proven guilty. They've crossed the line with all the unprofessional leaks by police, and the way celebrity has distorted the way the police are handling this case.
Back to top