A Japanese high court rejected Wednesday an appeal by entertainer Masashi Tashiro asking for a lighter sentence over use and possession of illegal drugs.
The Sendai High Court turned down a claim by the 63-year-old and upheld the lower court ruling, in which he was sentenced to 30 months in prison, six months of which were suspended for two years with probation for rehabilitation purposes.
"He once again touched illegal drugs. He has a deeply rooted affinity and addiction," Presiding Judge Hiroshi Akiyama said in handing down the ruling, citing how the comedian has several previous drug convictions.
The judge dismissed the case put forward by Tashiro's defense lawyer that his client should be allowed to return to society and mend his ways there instead of being in prison.
Akiyama said the district court, when it handed down its decision, had "taken into account Tashiro's motivation to reform his ways."
According to the ruling, Tashiro possessed illegal stimulants and cannabis at his condominium in Tokyo's Suginami Ward on Nov. 6, 2019, and used the stimulants around the same day.
Tashiro debuted in show business in the 1980s as a doo-wop singer with The Chanels and later became known as a comedian.
Following a series of arrests for illegal substances, he was involved in activities to raise public awareness about drugs and the difficulty of recovering from addiction, appearing on television to speak on the topic.
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