Rino Tazawa arrested for cocaine possession in Tokyo

Rino Tazawa, a 27-year-old high-profile influencer and hostess known as ‘Yamatorino’, was arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police for the possession of approximately 0.4 grams of cocaine. The arrest occurred on January 15 at her residence in the Roppongi district of Minato, Tokyo. Tazawa was apprehended alongside her partner, 28-year-old company executive Kota Fukumoto.

During the police search, authorities recovered 21 additional bags containing a white powder suspected to be cocaine, along with several straws that showed signs of use. While Tazawa has admitted to the charges, stating the drugs belonged to both of them, Fukumoto has denied involvement.

Tazawa is a prominent figure in the Roppongi nightlife scene, having reportedly generated over 200 million yen in sales during a single month at the club Jungle Tokyo. Following the arrest, Jungle Tokyo issued a statement apologizing for the incident and announced that Tazawa’s activities have been suspended. The incident has also sparked significant social media debate regarding Tazawa’s conduct during her police transport, where she made hand gestures that some observers interpreted as defiant or as gang-related signs.