TOKYO (TR) – A prominent hostess at a luxury Roppongi club who sparked outrage for her bizarre behavior in front of press cameras following a drug bust has been released on bail.
Rino Tazawa, 27, who worked under the alias “Rino Yamato” at the high-end hostess club Jungle Tokyo, was released on Tuesday after spending over a month in police custody for violating the Narcotics Control Law, reports News Post Seven (Oct. 20).
Tazawa was a massive earner in Tokyo’s nightlife scene, reportedly raking in up to 230 million yen in a single month while also gaining fame as a social media influencer and YouTuber.
Police raid
Her glamorous run was cut short on September 15 when police raided her apartment, located just minutes from Roppongi Station. Officers discovered 0.4 grams of cocaine, leading to the on-the-spot arrest of Tazawa and her boyfriend, 28-year-old company executive Kota Fukumoto.
During police questioning, Fukumoto denied the allegations, claiming the drugs were “not mine.” Tazawa, however, quickly admitted to the charges, telling investigators, “We used it together.” Both defendants were subsequently re-arrested on October 7 on suspicion of cocaine use.
Following her initial arrest, Tazawa’s provocative antics made national headlines. During her transfer in the early hours of September 16, she flashed hand signs at press cameras from inside a police vehicle. The following day, as she was being sent to prosecutors, she was captured smiling, winking, and sticking her tongue out. She later reportedly told authorities that her behavior was the result of being “mentally unstable.”
The scene was vastly different when Tazawa was finally granted bail. At around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a black van pulled up to the police station entrance.
Tazawa emerged wearing a plain gray sweatshirt and a pink mask, offering no smiles or poses for the waiting cameras. However, a pair of white Hermes sandals on her feet hinted at the remnants of her lavish lifestyle.
Surrounded by a guard of intimidating associates, Tazawa’s belongings — consisting of a jacket, several bags, and paper sacks — were wheeled out on a cart. She was quickly loaded into the van before speeding off to an unknown destination.