It seemed as if the news reports concerning a national actress were causing a ripple effect on all parties concerned. On June 11, it was reported by the Weekly Bunshun that actress Ryoko Yonekura (50) is under investigation by the Matri (Drug Control Department, Kanto Shinetsu Health and Welfare Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare) for violation of the Narcotics Control Law. The Shukan Bunshun team learned in late June that Yonekura was the target of a Matri investigation, and also reported that a raid was conducted on Yonekura’s apartment on August 20. A person involved in a major entertainment production company said that he was not that surprised by the news about Yonekura. About half a month before the Bunshun bombardment, information about Yonekura had actually been circulating in the media, including TV, newspapers, and weekly magazines, and many reporters had gathered near her apartment. In the midst of all this, industry insiders naturally heard about it. One of the entertainment industry insiders mentioned above said, “I thought it was a false report. Once we hear about something like this, trouble usually surfaces within a few days,” said a source close to the entertainment industry. But this time with Yonekura, nothing happened even after more than two weeks. But finally, on the 11th, Yonekura’s trouble was reported by the Weekly Bunshun, and “compared to the public reaction, I took it quite calmly. Of course, I had already heard about it, but I also thought that we would not be in a tense situation because of this case. …… In 1992, Yonekura won the judges’ special prize in the “All Japan National Beauty Contest” sponsored by Oscar Promotion, and made her debut as a model the following year. The following year, she made her debut as a model. She then went on to become an actress, producing a number of popular films. In particular, her drama series “Doctor X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon” (TV Asahi), which began in 2012, was a huge hit, earning her the nickname “Queen of Viewer Ratings. Yonekura has risen to the level of a nationally known actress, but the aforementioned entertainment industry insider dismissed the reports of her troubles, saying, “I’m not that interested in her. Why on earth? In March 2008, Yonekura left Oscar Promotion, to which she had belonged since her debut, and since then her acting career has not been good. In ’21, Yonekura, who had announced in ’19 that she had developed hypomyelination syndrome, once again fell ill. She was diagnosed with motor dysfunction due to acute back pain and sacroiliac joint disorder, and in September 2010, she withdrew from “CHICAGO,” the musical in which she had starred, which had become her life’s work. After that, she was unable to work as she wished. If Ms. Yonekura is still a successful leading actress who appears in a number of TV dramas and movies, this report is a major incident. If any of our talent were to appear in one of her films, it would have a major impact. The people at the agency are always thinking about how to minimize the fire that could be brought down on the talent. But to be honest, she is not an active actress at the moment. The only thing Ms. Yonekura has on her plate right now is “Angel Flight the Movie,” a movie in which she stars, scheduled for distribution on Amazon Prime Video in February of next year. The most important thing to remember is that the best way to get the most out of your time in the office is to be prepared for the news. ……
