News On Japan

Actress Sawajiri admits to drug charges

Feb 01 (NHK) - Japanese actress Erika Sawajiri has pleaded guilty to possession of illegal drugs.

Sawajiri's trial opened at the Tokyo District Court on Friday.

Asked by the judge whether she would contest the charges on which she has been indicted, she said she would not.

Prosecutors said the 33-year-old defendant started using marijuana, cocaine and other illegal drugs when she was 19 and she bought them from her acquaintances.

Sawajiri was arrested in November last year for possession of the synthetic drug MDMA and LSD.

She has been in hospital since she was granted bail.

A doctor from the hospital spoke at the trial as a witness for the defense.

The doctor said Sawajiri is not addicted to MDMA or LSD, but shows signs of mild addiction to marijuana.

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