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Disappearance from spotlight preceded drug arrest of AV actress Minako Komukai

Minako Komukai
Minako Komukai

At the AV Open 2014 award ceremonies last November, actress Minako Komukai walked away with the Grand Prix award for her appearance in a release by label Moodyz.

“At the time of the shooting, I told the director that if we don’t take first place, I’ll quit as an actress,” Komukai said. “This award is truly for everyone involved in the production.”

However, it was at around this time that Komukai largely disappeared from the limelight, which has Tokyo Sports (Feb. 9) wondering if this is connected to her arrest last week for possession of stimulant drugs.

“In the fall of last year, Komukai started cancelling work,” says a person working in the entertainment industry. “She basically took a month off. Then, once she returned, there was this strange, high-tension atmosphere around her, which sparked rumors about drug use.”

Last Friday morning, officers from the narcotics drugs control division of the Kanto-Shinetsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare entered the apartment of the 29-year-old actress, located in the Ebisu area of Shibuya Ward, and found 0.1 grams of stimulant drugs.

Komukai was reportedly uneasy on her feet when she was taken into custody. She has admitted to the allegations.

This is Komukai’s third arrest on drug charges. In 2009, the Tokyo District Court handed down a guilty ruling and a prison sentence of 18 months, suspended for three years. After her arrest two years later, she was not prosecuted due to a lack of evidence.

A person with knowledge of drug crimes says that it is likely the police had been monitoring the actress for a while prior to this latest arrest.

“A warrant handed down from the court would be required for such a search,” says the source. “So they would have had reliable evidence dating from last year to support the investigation.”

In 2011, Komukai made her AV debut for label Alice Japan. The year before, she starred in the Soft On Demand release “Dangerous Stripper,” which was filmed at the Asakusa Rokku-za strip theater.

Last July, she appeared in her first film for Moodyz, which would four months later bring her the Grand Prix.

After watching Komukai’s performance in the film — an installment in an ongoing series for the label in which she must have really worked her tail off, as the title reveals — an employee in the AV industry is not surprised by the latest arrest.

“Her facial expression was just off,” says the insider, who implies that she appeared unstable. “There are also a number of different ‘hard’ scenes in the film. Usually, (an actress) will only unveil one per film.”

On the day before Valentine’s Day, Moodyz is scheduled to release Komukai’s next film.

Source: “Kakuseizai 3-dome taiho Komukai yogi-sha sakushu kara no ihen,” Tokyo Sports (Feb. 9)