Drug scandal
On August 2, 2009, Sakai's reputation came into question when her husband, Yūichi Takasō allegedly inhaled a small amount of stimulant drugs in a public lavatory, at a park in Tokyo's Minato Ward. The next day, Takasō's car, parked on a street in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, was searched, during which 0.817 grams of stimulant drugs were found. On August 4, 2009, Takasō was stopped by Tokyo Metropolitan Police while walking in public in Shibuya. When Takasō was subjected to a body search, stimulant drugs were reportedly found in his underwear. Takasō was immediately arrested, and Sakai was summoned by police for questioning and drug testing. She initially declined, telling police she had to pick her 10-year-old son up, and would go to the police station later that day. However, Sakai later disappeared with her son.
While Takasō was being questioned at the police department, he reportedly told the police he and Sakai had been using drugs while on a family trip ten day sprior to Amami Ōshima in Kagoshima Prefecture. At the time of Takasō's arrest, Sakai was living in her own apartment in Tokyo. While Sakai was away, the police searched Sakai's home, and reportedly found 0.008 grams of stimulant drugs wrapped in aluminum foil, as well as an inhaler, which tested positive for Sakai's DNA. As a result, a warrant was issued for her arrest. On August 5, 2009, Sakai dropped her son off with an unnamed friend, purchased some underwear and other necessities from a store, and then disappeared.
Attempting to track Sakai down by cell phone, the police reported that her cell phone lost signal within the area of Yamanashi Prefecture, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of Tokyo. Sakai later claimed that the cell phone was damaged, and that she threw the phone away. The police believed that the cell phone may have contained information leading to the source of the stimulant drugs.
On August 7, 2009, Sakai voluntarily turned herself in to the authorities, and was placed under arrest, charged with "suspicion of possessing stimulant drugs," according to a Tokyo police official. She admitted to the drugs being in her apartment, saying she kept the drugs in foil "to use them later", despite admitting she did not take any of the drugs herself.
On August 17, 2009, a beach house in Katsuura, Chiba was also searched. A frequent location for both Sakai and Takasō the past five years, 0.097 grams of amphetamines and paraphernalia were found in the house. On August 21, 2009, after admitting to the drugs found in the beach house, Takasō was served with a second charge for possession of stimulant drugs.
On August 9, 2009 – two days after Sakai's arrest, a urine test result came up negative, as light use of methamphetamine can only be detected in a urine test within one to four days after use. However, on August 19, 2009, investigators announced that Sakai's hair tested positive for the stimulant drug, despite a weak result, extending her jail time to August 28, 2009. Before Sakai was caught, she reportedly dyed and cut her hair; both practices would affect the testing results.
On the final day of Sakai's detention, prosecutors officially indicted Sakai for amphetamine possession, upon revelation that Sakai allegedly used amphetamines at a hotel during her Kagoshima Prefecture visit with her husband and son. The fact that the drugs were carefully wrapped for later use was a deciding factor in the verdict.
Sakai was released after posting bail on September 17, 2009. Accompanied by her attorney, and with Sun Music Vice President Masahisa Aizawa in attendance, she apologized to the public during a press conference. "My weakness caused me to give in to illegal drugs and caused grief to many people. I pledge to repent and atone for this crime for the rest of my life," she said. Sakai subsequently checked into a hospital to overcome her drug habit, and asked for the media's restraint during her recovery.
Sakai's first court date was held on October 26, 2009 – drawing a crowd of 6,600 people outside of a Tokyo courthouse. Sakai pleaded guilty to drug use. Prosecutors suggested eighteen months in prison for Sakai, but on November 9, 2009, the court delayed the jail term to November 9, 2012, as long as she stays crime-free. During her recovery, Sakai attended the University of Creation; Art, Music & Social Work in Takasaki, Gunma, where she received her degree in welfare and nursing care in March 2013.
The drug scandal cost Sakai billions of yen in canceled contracts and other endeavors she was involved in prior. On August 6, 2009, car manufacturer Toyota reportedly stopped showing a commercial, featuring Sakai, on its web site. Sakai's clothing line "PP rikorino", consisting of over 150 items were pulled from stores throughout Japan.
During the first week of the scandal, Apple Inc's iTunes Store rated Sakai's 1995 song "Aoi Usagi" the number one downloaded song, based on an eleven-day period. Other Sakai songs among the top 100 downloads include Kagami no Doresu (17th) and Sekaijū no Dare Yori Kitto (18th). However, on August 9, 2009, Victor Entertainment, the distributor of Sakai's works, withdrew Sakai's CDs from stores, and suspended downloads of her songs. Online stores such as Amazon Japan still sold Sakai's CDs and DVDs, despite increasing the selling prices as a result of Victor's move. In more recent years Victor Entertainment has reversed its decision and redistributed her work.
Immediately after the indictment announcement, Sun Music, the talent agency who has represented Sakai since 1986, suspended her contract and removed her official website from its server. The agency's president Masahisa Aizawa said, "We apologize from the bottom of our hearts for the alleged misdeeds of Ms. Sakai." Soon after Aizawa's announcement, he was demoted to vice-president. Chairman Hideyoshi Aizawa removed himself from the position, and is now an adviser to Sun Music, with no right to represent the firm.
In the aftermath of the scandal, Sakai divorced her husband Takasō on July 31, 2010.
