One Month After the Raid Reports, Concerns Mount Over Ryoko Yonekura’s Acting Career

Ending her career in a situation like this

It has been a long time since Ryoko Yonekura (50), a nationally beloved actress, disappeared from the public eye.

According to Bunshun Online, on August 20, the Narcotics Control Department of the Kanto-Shinetsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare—known as “Matori”—conducted a raid on Yonekura’s condominium on suspicion of violating the Narcotics Control Act, seizing illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia. Since then, she has canceled all scheduled event appearances. Her social media updates have stopped, and even her current whereabouts are unknown. There have been no follow-up reports on the drug case since Bunshun’s initial article, leaving unclear whether the investigation is progressing. Fans have been left anxious and frustrated.

At this rate, Yonekura may end her acting career entirely. The truth of the matter remains completely unclear, but those who have worked with her and witnessed her character often say things like, “She worked so hard for so many years—if her career ends this way, it’s just too heartbreaking.”

A veteran writer recalls a comment she made over 20 years ago, something he has never forgotten.

“At the time, Yonekura was just shy of 30. This was before she reinvented herself with Kurokawa no Techo (2004, TV Asahi), and she still had a strong idol actress image. That’s why she herself felt pressured, I think. When I asked her what she thought about marriage and childbirth, she repeatedly said, ‘Not now, I can’t have a child now,’ over and over. I remember it vividly. She seemed painfully aware that if she took time off for childbirth, someone else could easily replace her.

But seeing how she rushed into marriage at 39, it’s clear she did have the desire. After her divorce, she seemed liberated and devoted herself even more to work. Because she built her career by sacrificing so much and giving everything she had, the thought that it might all end so abruptly in this way feels unbearably sad.”

Someone who can grow one size, even two sizes bigger from here

Her unpretentious personality also seems to be one reason why those around her lament the sudden possibility that her career may end.

“As several articles have written, Yonekura is, contrary to her image, not at all a strong woman. Despite her beauty, she has low self-esteem, and in interviews she only talks about her complexes. And not in a humble way—she says raw, unfiltered things like, ‘My legs aren’t beautiful, they’re bow-legged, and below the knee they’re short.’

Yonekura is honest, and—this may sound rude—but she also has a somewhat careless side. She can’t hide behind convenient platitudes, and ends up revealing her true feelings. It even makes me worry, thinking, is it really okay for her to say that? Having watched her straightforward and somewhat clumsy way of living for so long, this situation now is truly heartbreaking.” (another interview writer)

Takahiko Kageyama, professor of media studies at Doshisha Women’s College, also says, “If she disappears like this, it would be a real waste.”

“When I ask my students about Yonekura, they say things like, ‘She has a powerful presence on screen,’ and ‘I respect her as a woman.’ I think Yonekura is someone who has faced many adversities, stood back up, and carved out her life, showing her authentic self to viewers and audiences. That’s why her acting has an irreplaceable sense of exhilaration.

In particular, in Doctor-X (TV Asahi), the power of the trio—producer Seiko Uchiyama and screenwriter Miho Nakazono along with Yonekura—enhanced the exhilaration of her lone-wolf character thriving among men swayed by authority. I believe that connects directly to what my students say.”

Although “I never fail” tends to be the highlighted line in Doctor-X, Kageyama says he finds Yonekura’s charm in another place.

“My favorite scene was when, after surgery, while the patient was still asleep under anesthesia, Yonekura would gently touch the patient’s body and lovingly gaze at their face. In terms of motion and stillness, that was the still Ryoko Yonekura.

And what showed her further potential was Angel Flight (Amazon Prime Video). In that work, she supported and watched over her junior colleague Honoka Matsumoto. Unlike her previous image of charging ahead without worrying about others, she intentionally slowed her pace, looked carefully at those around her, and showed an empathetic performance. It showed the possibilities awaiting her as she approaches her fifties. I believe she is someone who can grow one size, even two sizes bigger as an actress.”

The truth behind the raid report remains in darkness. All we can do is wait for her to speak the truth herself. But what is certain is that she is far too valuable an actress to simply vanish like this.

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