TOKYO (TR) – Popular actress Erika Sawajiri was released on bail on Friday after she was indicted over the alleged possession of illegal drugs Ecstasy and LSD.
The Tokyo District Court granted the release of Sawajiri, 33, after she posted bail of 5 million yen. On Friday evening, a vehicle containing the actress exited the Tokyo Wangan Police Station. It was bound for a hospital.
On the morning of November 16, officers entered Sawajiri’s residence in Meguro Ward and found two white capsules containing a powder inside an accessory case near the entrance.
She was later accused of possessing 0.19 grams of MDMA, which is also known as Ecstasy, 0.6 grams of a liquid containing LSD and a slip of paper laced with LSD.
In a statement issued by her agency Avex Management, Sawajiri offered an apology for the “great inconvenience and concern” she caused.
“I regret that I have betrayed many people,” she said. “From now, I firmly resolve to sever all ties with illegal drugs. This includes persons connected [to illegal drugs]. I will also use the guidance of experts in my recovery.”
After her arrest on November 16, Sawajiri told police that she had used the illegal drug, as well as cocaine, marijuana and LSD.
Police have also accused Naoki Yokokawa, a 38-year-old fashion designer, of jointly possessing the MDMA at her residence. He is her former boyfriend.
In 2004, Sawajiri took Newcomer of the Year at the Japan Academy Prize awards for her role in “Pacchigi!” She has subsequently appeared in a number of films, including “Shinjuku Swan” and “Helter Skelter.”
