A member of the popular rock group Dragon Ash has been arrested for alleged marijuana possession in a case involving raids in Kyoto and Tokyo, investigative sources said Saturday.
Bass guitarist Kensuke Kaneko, 33, known as KenKen, is suspected of possessing a small amount of marijuana at his home in Kyoto's Shimogyo Ward on Friday morning, the sources said.
A 25-year-old woman who was at Kaneko's home at the time was also arrested for the same reason.
In Tokyo, Japanese American musician Jesse McFaddin, 38, was held on suspicion of possessing 4 grams of pot at his home in Shinagawa Ward, also on Friday morning.
The vocalist and guitarist, who plays under the name Jesse, is a son of popular Japanese guitarist Hisato Takenaka, widely known as Char.
McFaddin and Kaneko are both in a band called Rize.
According to the sources, Kaneko told police he knew the substance was marijuana but the woman denied the allegation. In the Tokyo case, McFaddin admitted to the possession charge.
The sources did not provide the woman's name or any information beyond the fact that she is a friend of Kaneko's from Okayama Prefecture.
The Metropolitan Police Department had been investigating the three for a month after receiving a tip they were using marijuana. They raided Kaneko's home early Friday. Dragon Ash made its debut in 1996 and released a number of hit songs, including "Fantasista." Kaneko joined the band in 2012