
Actor Taishu Kase was arrested Sunday on suspicion of possessing stimulant drugs and growing cannabis at his condominium in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, police said. Urine samples provided by Kase showed traces of stimulants, and 25 marijuana plants were found in planters in a closet, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Kase, whose real name is Nobuhiro Kawamoto, shot to fame as a leading character in the 1990 movie "Inamura Jane." According to the MPD, Kase, 38, had 3 grams of stimulant drugs, worth an estimated 180,000 yen, and 9.4 grams of marijuana, worth about 50,000 yen, at his condominium Saturday night. He was quoted by police as saying, "I got the drugs to take them on my own."
It's not clear whether there are more high profile drug busts recently or whether it's just that the press is giving them more attention.