Japanese pop star sentenced to 18 months for drugs

A Japanese pop idol-turned-actress has received an 18-month prison term, suspended for three years, for drug possession. A Tokyo court handed down the sentence on Noriko Sakai on Monday. The star is popular across Asia.

A Tokyo court handed down the sentence on Noriko Sakai on Monday.

At Monday's trial, 38-year-old Noriko Sakai pleaded guilty to charges of illegal drug use and possession.

She was arrested in August for drug possession after her husband, 41-year-old Yuichi Takaso, was caught with stimulants a week earlier.

When her husband was arrested, Sakai disappeared for a week with her 10-year-old son, before eventually turning herself in on August 7th.