Erika Sawajiri: Three and a half years after her shocking hiatus from show business, we catch an exclusive look at her beautiful, unchanged “blown-off” smile!

Ding, ding, ding…… to the bass and drum heavy bass from the car stereo, I drummed the rhythm with my fingers and let the groove take over.

In the line of cars waiting at the traffic lights, the coupe with Erika Sawajiri (37) at the wheel had an overwhelming presence.

After about 20 minutes of driving, she pulled up in front of a convenience store and got out of the driver’s seat with her wallet in hand. There was no one in the car. It seemed that he was driving alone.

Although it was once rumored that she had gained about 20 kg due to stress, she was still as stylish as ever. In fact, she may have tanned a bit, and her pheromones even seem to have increased.

Wearing only chain glasses and no mask or cap to disguise herself, Sawajiri proudly entered a Natural Lawson store. After picking up the item she wanted, she stood alone at the cash register.

The next stop was Matsumotokiyoshi. Perhaps thinking that Erika could not possibly be in Matsumotokiyoshi, none of the customers or store clerks noticed her. She drove further, this time to a store specializing in vintage sunglasses. Here, she met her first contact with someone.

A handsome man with long hair resembling Nobuyoshi Kuwano of the popular chorus group “Razz & Star” came out of the store with Sawajiri. The two went on to visit a nearby jewelry store. I was curious about her relationship with the handsome man, but she said good-bye to him at this point. As they parted, Sawajiri’s smile burst out for the first time in a while.

Sawajiri has been out of the limelight for three and a half years since she was arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in November 2007 for possession of the synthetic drug MDMA.

Judging from her blithe smile on this day, it seems that the day of her comeback may be near.

The June 30 issue of “FRIDAY,” which goes on sale tomorrow (June 15), will report in detail on her meeting with director Kazuyuki Izutsu, her former teacher, and her moves toward a comeback. The pay-per-view website “FRIDAY GOLD” shows several photos.

For more details and unpublished photos, click here↓.