The Japan Times newsroom selected these culture stories as the most important of 2016. 1. Nothing lasts forever: After conflicting reports dominated tabloids, J-pop act SMAP finally announced a breakup planned for New Year's Eve. Regardless of whether it was in-fighting or exhaustion that led ...
Experts have called for the government to offer a comprehensive rehabilitation program that would enable patients to receive sufficient support.
Pop singer-songwriter Aska was arrested Monday for allegedly using illegal stimulants, which would violate the parole terms of his suspended 2014 prison sentence. The 58-year-old Aska, whose real name is Shigeaki Miyazaki, had posted a number of comments on his blog on Monday afternoon before ...
Pop star Aska gets off with suspended sentence for drug use
The Tokyo District Court hands disgraced pop star Aska a suspended prison term for possession and use of illegal stimulants.
Pop star Aska pleads guilty to drug charges
Prosecutors demand a three-year term for singer Shigeaki Miyazaki, the disgraced pop star better known as Aska, as his trial over illegal drug use opens in Tokyo.
Forget drugs, monotony is the real threat to Japan's music industry
Japan has a drug problem. Everywhere you look — from the creepy, teen-host-club pop of Sexy Zone to the soft-rock balladry of Ikimono Gakari — children are being exposed to music that has been made with no obvious influence from drugs whatsoever. The music industry ...
Singer-songwriter Aska, half of the well-known musical duo Chage and Aska, has admitted using illegal stimulants, investigative sources said Friday, almost a week after he was arrested on suspicion of possessing the drugs. Aska, 56, could receive a fresh arrest warrant over the drugs as ...
Police arrest singer-songwriter Aska, half of the famous pop duo Chage and Aska, on suspicion of possessing powerful "kakuseizai" stimulants.
