TOKYO - Japanese singer-songwriter Noriyuki Makihara was released on bail Friday after he was charged with possessing drugs in violation of the stimulants control law.
Makihara posted bail of 5 million yen ($47,000) with the Tokyo District Court. Prosecutors have also charged him with possessing the liquid inhalant "Rush."
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"I deeply apologize for having caused trouble to my fans and other people," Makihara told reporters gathered at a Tokyo police station where he had been detained.
The 50-year-old was arrested Feb. 13 for possessing 0.083 gram of a stimulant and 64.2 millimeters of Rush in 2018, at his condominium in Tokyo's Minato Ward.
Makihara has admitted to the charges but said he "hasn't used drugs for a long time," investigative sources said earlier.
The musician, who debuted in 1990, is known for numerous hit songs including "Donna toki mo" (Anytime) and composing now-disbanded male idol group SMAP's "Sekai ni Hitotsudake no Hana" (The One and Only Flower in the World).
In 1999, Makihara was convicted of stimulant possession and given a suspended prison term after admitting to the charges.
