TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police this week arrested a popular influencer and hostess working at an ultra-exclusive Roppongi club over the possession of cocaine.
Since then, the club employing Rino Tazawa, 27, who goes by the online moniker “Yamato Rino,” has seemingly cut ties with her.
On September 15, Tazawa was arrested on the spot at her home along with her live-in boyfriend, 28-year-old Kota Fukumoto, after police found 0.4 grams of the illicit drug.
The couple made little effort to conceal their stash. Investigators seized 21 additional bags containing a white powder and multiple straws believed to be used for snorting the drug, which were left casually lying around the living room and bedroom.
Top earner
Tazawa is a top earner at Jungle Tokyo, an industry-leading Roppongi club known for its heavy media presence. She reportedly generated a staggering 230 million yen in sales during her birthday month alone.
However, the club removed Tazawa’s name and image from its roster of hostesses on its website following her arrest.
Social media
Prior to her online fame, Tazawa was largely unknown. She rose from obscurity during the COVID-19 pandemic through an anonymous X account, gaining a massive following for her dark humor and sharp tongue.
After eventually revealing her identity, her popularity skyrocketed. She currently boasts over 1.3 million followers across social media and recently served as a judge on a YouTube audition program.
“We used it together”
Upon her arrest, Tazawa admitted to the allegations, telling police, “The cocaine in our home belongs to both me and Fukumoto. We used it together.”
However, her boyfriend has adamantly denied the charges. “It is not mine. I have nothing to do with it,” Fukumoto told investigators.
Tokyo police had been conducting an undercover investigation into Tazawa since the beginning of the year over suspicions of habitual drug use. Authorities now plan to conduct urine tests on both suspects to confirm usage and will investigate their motives and how the cocaine was obtained.
