Japanese Actor Iseya Yusuke Arrested on Drug Charges  

Iseya Yusuke, a veteran actor who has worked with Miike Takashi, Kore’eda Hirokazu and other leading Japanese directors in a career that has spanned two decades, was arrested Tuesday in Tokyo for possession of marijuana.

According to local media, Tokyo Metropolitan Police found four bags of marijuana, some 20 grams, in a drawer in his Tokyo residence at around four in the afternoon on Tuesday.  Rolling papers were also discovered on a table.

How he obtained the drug and other details are currently under investigation.

Iseya’s agency, Kakuto Entertainment issued a statement confirming the arrest and saying that “This incident is extremely regrettable. We deeply apologize to fans and everyone concerned for causing such a big worry and bother.”

Iseya’s YouTube channel, which he launched in April, has already been taken down.
Born in Tokyo in 1976, Iseya is the half-brother of fashion designer Yamamoto Kansai. While studying at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts & Music he began modeling and soon transitioned to TV and film acting, with his first screen credit being Koreeda’s 1998 fantasy “After Life.” He also appeared in Miike’s 2007 Eastern Western “Sukiyaki Western Django,” which was filmed entirely in English and featured a cameo by Quentin Tarantino. He also worked with Miike on the samurai swashbuckler “13 Assassins” in 2010 and the underworld actioner “Shinjuku Swan” in 2015.

More recently, Iseya starred in the smash-hit 2019 comedy “Fly Me to the Saitama” as a leader of a rebellion against the corrupt Tokyo powers.  He also appears in the upcoming swordfight actioner “Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter Part I – The Final,” whose release has been postponed to 2021.