The arrest of singer-actress Noriko Sakai, 38, this month in connection with illegal drugs shattered the image of a star who in the 1980s parlayed being cute and innocent into idol status.
The drug bust that netted Sakai and her husband came just three months after SMAP member Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, 35, known for his rather meek character, was arrested for drunken nudity in a Tokyo park late at night.
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